


The Field of Effect

by JaqcuesGuillory



Category: BioWare - Fandom, Mass Effect
Genre: F/F, F/M, Original Character(s), Other, POV Alternating, POV Character of Color, POV Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-02-04 10:20:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 101,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1775602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaqcuesGuillory/pseuds/JaqcuesGuillory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of attacks on colonies containing certain research facilities have led the Systems Alliance to action. A rogue research branch of the Alliance has started down an a dark path and they won't stop until they have control at any cost. There's mutations, deaths, fighting and crumbling relationships and everything is coming to a head. The Alliance needs help- even if that means the most dangerous, scarred outsiders with a love for action and a passion of death. They need the best, not just the most available.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so I know it starts out pretty slow... really slow. But it gets better. Just bear with me.

Even with her thick coat to protect her from the freezing elements and temperatures of Polius she couldn't get to the train fast enough. When she saw the sleek, grey pill shape of the train she smiled and hurried toward it. When the the circular doors slid out of the way to allow people on board, though there were never many, Katerin was the first one on board.

 

The station was above ground so when she took her seat and looked out the window she could see the grey, metal floors and walls of the colony, the dome like or ovular housing where people lved in tiny homes protected by environmental coatings and metals so heating wouldn't be so expensive and could be possible at all. Polius was a frozen place. IT snowed constantly, leaving the planet buried in a heavy blanket of snow that had no intention of ever melting. If one were to go outside without wearing protective gear they wouldn't live through the experience. That's why most of the colony was either underground or was built to survive the temperatures.

 

Katerin watched lazily out of the window until the unit stopped at the other half of the colony. There were two halves, but they were about ten miles apart. In the ten mile gap there was so much ice that they couldn't build there. It was just an empty cavern of crystal and frozen chunks. So, it was off limits. One of the units ran through it, but if you saw it once, you saw it for the rest of your life.

 

The underground stretch was where most of the businesses were. Since no one really enjoyed besting the crowds of people or the ones selling their wares, they had a unit underground and a unit above ground. There were also roads, but they were on the third level. There were four. The first was at the very bottom and on the East side had research facilities owned by an organization on a completely different world. She couldn't blame them for that. She didn't want to be here either.

 

The West side had mostly housing, but not the good, clean kind of housing. The cheap, run-down, shady kind where the law didn't extend but violence and pestilence held all weight. On the second level there was mostly housing but there roads for personal vehicles were here, the tunnels that ran from the West side ot the East side. The third level had a large marketplace and things to sell; restaurants; businesses.

 

The fourth level was above ground and had it's own transportation unit. There were a few outposts the Alliance had set up and a small portion of housing. Almost no one lived above ground, but those who did were nearly all military or the scientists and their families.

 

 

When the train stopped, Katerin shuffled off, rubbing her hands over her arms with her jaw clenched together in what might have been viewed as an attempt to keep them from rattling together with the shivers that racked her body. She walked quickly, not stopping to look at the things around her. It was all white here, anyway. White and cold. Shehurried over to the screen held up on a metal stand. She pressed a few buttons, entering the information required to take her personal car out of the reserve. After the information had been accepted, she heard the release of pressure and clouds of fog rose up from the doors as they slid apart and the warm air mixed with that of the frigid air. A vehicle shaped much like the trains was emerged, risen up on a platform. A clock started counting down on a projection by the car's front. If she didn't move her vehicle by then, it would go back into it's holding cell and keep warm until it was again called upon. There was always a risk of the glass cracking, but that was why no vehicle or transportation unit was without a certain kind of transparent solid. If it couldn't stand up to the temperatures and the change, it didn't go on Polius. And that stood for everythin, even the people. 

 

Katerin hurried over and quickly got inside. It wasn't a large car, but it didn't need to be. It just needed to get her through the snow, which it was designed for. The cars on other planets had sleek designs and curving, detailed lines, wheels with red lines around the rims and aggressive headlights that screamed "go fast", but those on Polius usually had one generic look; A straight light across the front of the long hood, a round, uniform body with a simple waver on the door for looks and wheels that would tuck up into the car in exchange for jet skis.

 

Once she arrive at her place of employment she stopped her car over one of the same kinds of platform that raised when she approached it. She got out and lowered it with another panel like the one before it before hurrying around to the front of the building. It was uniform, a metal just like all the others around it. Katerin shut the doors behind her and sighed, still shivering from having been outdoors. She smiled when she saw the shop. It was the one place she flt truly happy and relaxed. the arm, orange glow from the computer screens, the various devices and the contrasting blue shine that illuminated around the tube-like bars of light that stood up from ceiling to floor about every ten feet. They lit up the railing along the stairs to the apartment above the main room. There were two panels of light on the ceiling, but they were plenty big enough and bright enough to keep the room visible. She had to keep the room bright enough or else she'd plow into the cluttered mess of vehicles, toolboxes, pieces and parts and shelves full of the things she used to run her repair shop.

 

After Katerin had removed her gear and stepped into a pair of over-wear pants and a jacket she lifted the glossy hood of one of the cars. The sleek design of the car with it's curves reminded her of a wave, but it was also certainly not a vehicle used in the snow. It was one that someone in the upper class families owned and only used inside the colony on it's safe, smooth roads and it's lit tunnels. She began looking over the engine when she got a call. She reached up to where she wore an earpiece and tapped a button. The distress and worry in the person's voice made her stop. She stood up and furrowed her brow. When the man, a Mr. Wilson, turned suddenly angry and frantic but then apologetic and regretful but then suddenly peaceful and cheery she shook her head and went back to her work. She thought about what to say in response, but she found herself at a loss of words. At first he'd just just been shouting about something incoherently, but then, even thought she could understand him no better, he became almost afraid of upsetting someone. not her it didn't seem, but someone else though she didn't know who. Then he just calmed down and mentioned something about his son or grandchildren or... something. She shook her head as the device clicked and buzzed. He'd called her simply to confuse her and then rudely hang up? That didn't seem like him, but she wasn't going to question it.

 

After she called the people who owned the vehicle to figure out just what the problem actually was as there didn't appear to be a damned thing wrong with the car. It was a current model, as well. It was only a year old so it shouldn't have had anything wrong with it, but she never got through with the family to get a second word in. They'd never really mentioned what needed fixing, instead just leaving it in her hands. She didn't spend much time thinking about what was wrong with it when she heard the doors open.  
"Mr. Harley." She said, smiling as she glanced over at the old man with silver hair. He usually came to visit her on Sundays but he always wore a suit, no matter what day it was.

"How are you going, kiddo?" HE chuckled, his laugh just as old and rusty as he was.

She sighed, hands on her hip as she shook her head, frowning. "I'd be doing well if I could get ahold of these people. I've checked this car a thousand times and there is nothing bad about it. At this point I wish it was so they'd come and get it. But I can't get through to them, anyway."

"Folks have been like that lately. The whole damned colony's been acting strangely. A man yelled at me for no reason when I was buying groceries the other day. The roads are havoc. I wouldn't go on those roads if you paid me. I just wish Lucas felt the same way and would 

stay away from them." Harley gruffed.

"I've noticed that myself. Remy just called me up to yell about nonsense and then hang up on me." She said. "It must be something in the water. But I'm glad I don't have it." Kat said, sadness in her voice and concern in her face.

"Almost everyone in the slums has it and the second level of the market district is bad off, too. They've both been quarantined." HE said, shocking her. She'd never really paid attention to television so the new went unnoticed for her.

"Really? Oh. That's... bad. Really bad." She said, chewing her lips. "Anyone else?" She asked, intrigued by the local word.

"No. Just Level two market district and the slums. But I heard the scientists facilities haven't been getting sick. None of the personnel have gone crazy. the doctors claim it's just a mental breakdown. They're paranoid."

"Larry got it, too. He came in to work yesterday and tore the place apart. I only left him for five minutes. It's still a mess." She said, disbelief in her her own voice. Larry was one of the only two mechanics who had worked for her previous boss. When the man died, Katerin found that he had left the shop in her name. Larry, his own son, was of course very annoyed with her and threatened to leave several times if he didn't get whatever it was he was asking for. If she didn't plan on giving in to his idle, petty threats, she didn't. He'd 'quit' and then come back somewhere between one to three days later. He once spent a week away but she barely even noticed. Even when his father had run the shop he'd contributed little effort. It was Katerin who had the ambition and excelled. Katerin's dream was to be the best damned mechanic she could be.

 

"I just found out Liahh got it." The man said simply but pitifully with a somber expression on his face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She sighed, her brow knitting together. "That's... when did it happen?"

"A few weeks ago." He answered, shaking his head with sorrow and remorse. That far along in the stages of the disease and she wouldn't be alive much longer. Her mind was already lost. Katerin didn't respond, but put a hand on his shoulder and looked away. She didn't want to see the sadness in his eyes. He was a friend to her, an old one. He had been the husband of one her elementary school teachers so she had known him for some time. She'd gotten to know his children and grandchildren, though not as well.

 

Sometime after she had gone back to working the old man left her to her own devices. She was still never able to get through to the family that had left their vehicle in her hands, but if they wanted it fixed they'd have to tell her what they wanted done to it. There wasn't a single thing wrong with the vehicle. Unfortunately it wasn't the first time it had happened. People were constantly make little to no sense in the things they did. More than one person around her, in and out of her shop, acted so strangely, like they were sick. And that could have been true. Recently, cases of sicknesses of the mind were afflicting everyone around. Those who didn't get it were the lucky ones. It didn't seem to be consistent in that the old or very small children were more susceptible. It seemed more like airborne insanity.

 

Katerin had just put one of her tools back in it's place when the lights, even those from her laptop and various devices. Before she could react, she felt something sting on her neck. She felt an immediate wave of faintness, wooziness. Her knees buckled like her weight was to much to hold up and she fell forward. Her head slammed and bounced off of the metal toolbox, but whether she was still conscious when it happened couldn't be said.

 

 

 

Katerin's dreams were like images painted by huge, bright white light flirting across her eyelids like a pixie, whispering into her ears. Then she'd find herself looking at a black oval with faded edges like a flame was shining around the black screen. She would be in a room naked and wet but never cold or modest. Her hair would be plastered to her neck and jaw, straight from the weight of the water. Her body would have glowing points on them. The back and fronts of her elbows would glow white, her hands, palm and back, her shoulders, her knees. Then, in the middle of her abdomen, the brightest light would shine.

 

She watched as her dream self walked forward toward a desk. In the distance she could see the image being played there as well. Behind her far away. Dream Kat looked up and three inches from her face was her reflection staring down at her, noses almost touched. She stretched her arm up and they went past each other. No matter how hard she tried to touch her, she'd pass through her they wouldn't be able to feel each other. She gasped, her breath echoing through the room like millions of people repeating it.

 

She continued walking forward again. She reached the desk in the room, the only thing she could see in the abyss. She touched it's surface and walked around it in circles, tryign to figure out what it's purpose was. When nothing was gained from visiting it, she couched down and peered under it. Nothing. She stood up and all around her were thousands of glowing white doors. She looked up, doors. She looked down... doors. A door she fell through. She didn't scream, but she tried. Kat watched in horror as the dream Kat fell through, down. And down. And down. Farther into the nightmarish blackness that engulfed her. Finally, she hit the ground. Kat stood up and saw before her an ethereal woman who was made up of light. To her left and right and behind her there were glowing women like the one in front. When she squinted she could see she looked... she looked just like Kat. Her nose was the same, gentle lines. Her eyes were almond shaped and her lips were thick and puffy.

 

 

"...we have to take her out!" She could hear voices shouting as the light dimmed in Kat's copy.

"It's too risky!"

"For her or for yourself?" Someone's voice was shouting from very far away and she could barely hear it. It was like it was travelling on the wind.

"For all of us! Think of the research we've been doing for so many years? Will you waste that on two girls? They're defective."

"They are not defective, goddammit! They're my children!"

"And they'll kill us all if they get loose. We need to shut this place down and get the hell out of here!"

"Sir, there's been a failure in the plan..." The voice faded away.

Kat shook her head. "What's going on?" She asked, her words reverberating off walls of glass that lit up and shone with purple and blue light hen her words bounced. She started to feel pain as her copy was without light and her body began to melt into a puddle on the floor and trap Kat in. She couldn't step in the mess she left and could stand only in the dry space where her feet were.

"DEL is here!"

 

The points on Kat's body suddenly ripped away with excruciating pain and she woke up. Her body was covered in sweat, some sort of slippery, oil-like liquid that wouldn't come off when she rubbed it away. She cried out as she sat up. She felt to weak to move, her lungs seeming to fill with needles instead of air, her head pounding and ears ringing. She felt what was like stabbing wounds in her stomach and over her arms.

She heard gunshots, but surely that wasn't possible. She smelled smoke and flames. She saw the fire raging toward her, but she seemed disembodied and out of her body. She didn't seem to care about the fire nor heat that was washing over her from the wind. She heard shouting from another place and then her name so close to her. She looked over and saw a pale, thin girl with a small frame and dead, blind eyes. Behind her was an angry wall of flames.

 

"Katerin...?" Her voice shook like she was half-alive.

"Rhiannon? Rhiannon...!" She stretched an arm out to her but rolled off of the metal table she was laying on. It followed her and she felt restrained. She seemed to be in a room by herself. A room made of glass and steel. She could see the fire was on the other side of the glass which had blown out already from the extreme heat. She had blood trickling down her arms, a gash on her face. 

She was now realising she was in some sort of laboratory and her cuts ans scrapes likely came from the glass. The burns on her left arm from the fire. She was held back to the table by leather straps. She screamed and struggled. The burning scourge danced closer and her heart played along in fear. Her skin seemed to sob and her kicks and thrashes only rubbed against her skin and strained her muscles.

"Katerin!" She could hear the only person's shrill yell. "Katerin, please, help me!"

"I'm stuck, Rhiannon! If you can move just go!" She said, tears rushing down her face. She tried pushing at the straps but it was no use.

"I can't get out. I-" She heard rattling and clanging and she knew Rhiannon was trying to free herself. She was on the same kind of table Kat was on. "I'm trapped!"

 

Katerin looked around the room. She could see that there were tables around her. One of them held a pair of scissors and scalpels, some of which were hanging half off of the surface. She tried to wriggle forward. When she got close enough to the table and tried to hit it so as to knock the scissors off. She was finally able to kick it enough times that the scalpels and scissors toppled over the edge. One of the scalpels fell past her leg, but the other sliced her bare leg. It didn't didn't feel like a sharp pain, instead burning from the warmth of the blood that streamed down her skin. She groaned, grinding her teeth and trying to reach something to cut whatever was restraining her. She was almost able to grab it, but couldn't move any farther when the edge of the table was caught. She looked she saw that it had gotten stuck on another one of the tables' legs and it wouldn't budge. It was like all the positive hope she had simply drained. She was torn between rage and sheer distress.

 

"No! No, no, no, no!" She squirmed and bashed her head against the hard ground. She felt dizzy and admittedly quite foolish and stupid when she heard footsteps and approaching people. "Help! Help us, please!" She could feel the fire's closeness and she was trying not to loose herself to fear, but she was trapped.

"Hold tight, we're coming!" It was a woman's voice. Kat heard glass shatter and a landing of someone who had jumped into the room. "Stay still and don't panic."

"My sister, please." She said. "Help her!" She saw a woman in Alliance gear stop in front of her. She wore a helmet to protect herself from the smoke. "Just- Just help my sister!" She begged. She knew what she was asking, but she couldn't let her sister die.

"Someone's helping her." She said, undoing the straps and pulling Kat to her feet. "Let's get you out of here." She helped her out through the broken wall. She was barely out of the room when she heard a commotion. There were gunshots and thuds like a great amount of things were falling. there was a sound like scrapping metal and a horrendous shriek.

"What's going on in there, Guppy?" The marine said with concern.

"The ceiling is caving in." One man came out of the room and shortly after him two more, all clad in military armor.

"The girl is trapped under the rubble and the fire's spread too much, we can't get to her. There are chemicals in that room that will explode with that kind of heat. We have to get out now!"

"Rhiannon!" Kat tugged and pulled against the hold the woman had on her arm.

"Kat-" She was stopped short and screamed in agony, a heart wrenching and sickening wail of torture.

"No, Rhiannon!" She shook with horror, her heart beating rapidly. She couldn't leave her sister behind.

"Lieutenant, we have to go now!" A man with a Gaelic voice said to the woman.

"No!" She cried. "My sister is still in there!" Kat screamed as the marine started to drag her away. "No! No! Let me go! I promised them I'd take care of her! I have to-"

"You'll die if you go back for her!" The man called Guppy said her.

"No!" She wailed, gasping as tears rolled with haste down her cheeks to the point she couldn't see. The woman tugged her along and shoved her down the hall as she called to her sister. They'd barely gotten out of the room when they heard the explosion. The blast sent them all rolling forward. Kat tumbled to a stop but one of the four people hit the wall with fatal brutality, instantly dead. The three marines stood up slowly, groaning and limping. One of them checked the fourth and shook their head solemnly.

 

"Jeff didn't make it." She said.

"Rhiannon..." Her cheeks were wet with falling, sorrowful tears. It was like her chest was being torn in two, like a string was around her heart and was being pulled tighter and tighter. Her throat seemed tight with tears she couldn't choke back and guilt she couldn't swallow. The screams and the fire... It seemed to echo in her head. why couldn't she have kept her safe? She made a vow to protect her baby sister and she failed her. She couldn't protect her and now she was... dead. Gone forever.

 

"Kid, we have to get out of here. This place is shot to hell, now let's go!" The lieutenant said, pulling her back on her feet. She was limping and holding her stomach, but she wasn't stopping. Kat felt so distraught and shaken. Kat was loyal and protective and it was her job to take 

care of her sister and she'd failed. It didn't matter that it wasn't in her power to help her. She didn't have any idea where she was. She knew it must have been one of the research facilities like what her mother and father worked in, but why would she and her sister be there? 

Kat wasn't a scientist! And yet she was there in one of the buildings with her chest on fire, her lungs screaming, her muscles seeming to spasm and her sight seeming to fade from her eyes. It felt like she had no control of her body and then... she was gone. She seem to slip into her mind, her consciousness blowing away like particles in wind, debris in a flood.

Was she dying? It didn't hurt. She'd imagined her death like a romanticized tale. She'd do something heroic and brave. She would be defending the citizens of her town like a valiant knight, a war-hardened hero who took his last breath with a blade in his gut, an arrow in his chest. She had never pictured that as a mechanic she would die from- well, she didn't even know what she was dying from. Kat wasn't one to welcome death to herself so easily, but she felt nothing now. Kat felt like her body was burning, the pain was intense, she could tell, but too distant for her to focus on. Like a dream she was merely playing witness to, but not commanding. It felt like her body was being racked with pain but she couldn't place it or make sense of it. It felt like she in movement, though she was certain she was still.

 

She hardly even heard the shouts around her, the noises of engines nor the annoyed, low sounds the marine made as she made her decision to wake her. But she did feel the hard slap as she brought her hand across Kat's cheek.

 

"Wake up, kid!" The woman said.

Kat shot up and rubbed her jaw. "I thought I was dying..." She admitted sadly.

"You weren't dying, you just passed out. You had a reaction to the chemicals that had been injected into your blood stream. The doctor says you'll be fine."

"Where am I? A hospital?" She asked, looking at her surroundings.

"No. You're on an Alliance ship, the Monument." She said.

"Do you know what happened?"

"You mean, you don't know? Damn. How long were you under?" She said, blowing out a long puff of air. She straightened herself where she stood beside the cot Kat was laying on. "I can tell you this: The Alliance won't be coming in to save your ass again. There will be people coming after you, but that's not our job."

"I don't understand."

"No, you wouldn't." She said. She stood up and headed for the door.

"Wait! Explain!" Kat called. She sighed and rested back against the bed frame and looked around her. It was obvious she was in the ship's med bay. If not by the red writing on the wall that read as such, by the smell of alcohol and cleanliness or by the dispenser of gloves that hung by the sink.

 

Her mother was a scientist and her father was a doctor so she'd seen them come home with their gloves rolled up over their sleeves. She didn't know what her mother studied. She wasn't allowed to speak of it, she had said. Her mother's secrecy was something that had always bothered her, but she was never permitted to comprehend the project. All she would say was that when they finished, everyone would know, everyone would be in awe and that they would bow to their success and marvel at their perfection that would be. Soon. She always said it would be soon.

She remembered the pats on her head that she would get when her mother came home. 'Remember, Katerin. The time will be soon' she'd say. The soft ruffle of her hair would be the only touch or affection she'd really get from her mother. Her father wasn't the kindest man, either. Rather she often spent her time with her sister in order to feel warmth.

 

Before her older brother had moved away she'd gotten along well with him. They'd talk and were always together at school. If anyone picked on her or made fun of her, Marcus was there to stick up for her. Of course, she didn't need him to. She could handle her own weight but he claimed he was born first so he could watch over his younger siblings. She had always wished for picnics in the meadow where she would spot a rainbow or two and see deer playing in the woods beyond. A trip to the park to go fishing, a push on the swing set, a bouncy ride on the seesaw or a quick trip down the slide. Maybe a Christmas where they spent a nice family dinner together and held hands for prayers.

Unfortunately these images were just the beautiful pictures she dreamt up before her eyes finally closed for the night. She'd read old stories so she had an ideal wonder. She thought of how wonderful and almost magical it would be to get a kiss goodnight or a bedtime tale relayed to her so she'd fall asleep sooner and have dreams about the heroic characters. Sadly, she had abandoned these things when she grew tired of her family's patronizing, pushing words and left them.

 

 

"So, you're up now." Someone's voice shook her out of her thought and she looked up to see a woman in a doctor's uniform, deep red hair to her shoulders. "I passed the lieutenant on my way in. She's been sitting in here since you arrived." She crossed the room and extended a hand. "I'm Mei Len Xjung." She waved a hand at her and scrunched her nose. "Or, Red Len. I think half the time they don't even remember I have a name. The crew... I mean." She said, smiling at her. She was pale with little freckles across her nose, green eyes and of course her Scarlett red hair that must have been from which her name was derived.

"I'm Katerin Kelly." She said, taking the woman's hand in a weak grasp.

"I imagine you have questions?" The doctor said, folding her hands in her lap as she sat down by her bed.

"All I know is that I woke up in one of the research facilities. I was strapped to one of the beds and I couldn't get free to save my sister. Now," She said, her voice breaking up. "She's dead."

The doctor's lips squeezed together tightly before she said "Well, we know that something went wrong while they were working. One of the chemicals mixed with another and caused a negative reaction that caught fire. It didn't take long before the facility was consumed with flames. The alarm system never got a chance. Someone had disabled it before the chemicals even mixed which meant it was done on purpose. The same reason why you and your sister were the only two people not evacuated from the building."

"Where did everyone else go?" Kat asked. "Why aren't I with them?" She should have gone to one of the hospitals, not the med-bay of a ship.

"We don't know. the entire colony is in a state of panic. Actually, since there's only one colony... I guess that whole planet is lost. There have been cases of abductions all around that place and any facilities like it. There have been searches for some sort of camp or residence away from the research grounds, but there aren't any. Most of that planet is uninhabitable and no one in the colony has been reported and none of the investigations show anything. It's likely they're being taken off world. You and your sister probably would have been."

"Do you know why we were there?"

"That's what we wanted to know. I didn't find any traces of medicines or foreign bodies in your system at all. Nothing from the facility survived, so we have no information. No birth record, no identification. Anything you say goes. We can't prove it to be otherwise."

"Tell me about what happened to the colony, the panic." She said. She was starting to feel like she had a headache and her stomach was churning with the unsettling conversation. Her air was shallow and her eyes felt puffy and wet and she realised she was and had been crying.

"Well, after people of all ages started going missing, the Alliance came in. We were just in time to find the colonists were going mad. They're all... insane. There's something in the air that causes their brain chemistry to make them overly affection like they're sedated and loving and warm before it violently switches from good to bad. They become agitated and angry and start to attack and fight amongst one another. We haven't yet found a solution that's safe for everyone and involves no bloodshed." The woman sighed and said. "That's all we know. If you've got anything, share it."

"I remember I could hear a man speaking before I woke up. He said that they had to leave my sister and I behind but that it didn't matter because we were defective. A woman's voice said that we were her children... but I didn't recognize her voice. Then someone screamed that 'DEL' was here."

"'DEL', what's 'DEL'?" She asked.

"I don't know. I've never heard of it. If they worked with the scientists I wouldn't know. My mother worked there but I'm a grease-monkey, a mechanic." She said with a pause. It seemed until the situation was resolved she would be out of a home and a job. And a family. She wouldn't miss her mother or her father very much. She'd had some familial issues. She was already thinking about leaving behind in a move to another colony or planet but she probably wouldn't have gone through with it. Kat liked to dream and imagine herself capable of great feats, even one like leaving behind her loving colony. It had all been just another one of her wild thoughts running rampant in her head. She had wondered if there was something better for her in the rest of the galaxy, but was that really where she belonged?

"Well, I'm going to go now, Miss Kelly." The doctor patted her shoulder. "The captain would like to speak with you when you feel up to it." Kat nodded, smiling weakly and distantly. "Should I tell him you're ready?"

"Go ahead."

 

She stood up and walked around the room. There was dim lighting, but extra lights to give more clarity if needed were waiting to be turned on if the will arose. Unfortunately, due to the low lighting Kat didn't see most of the things she was stepping on. Or at least she would that if anyone ever questioned her. She wasn't a terribly clumsy person, but she was having difficulties in the present time with placing her feet down carefully. She stopped when she saw movement in her peripheral view. She looked over and saw herself standing there. Her coffee brown skin had a few slightly burned places where the falling debris and embers had touched her. She had burns across the back of her left arm, but they had gauze and ointment over it. She had a burn across her cheek but it was being treated as well.

 

She was grateful for the treatment. She was still shocked about what had happened to her sister. She felt a painful loss, of course, but she almost didn't notice. It was like she knew it had happened and she could admit to it, what she had seen, but it wouldn't' register as that she was truly gone. Kat would never seem her little sister again. She hadn't always been the most reliable for her. She'd not been in her life as much as she should have been, maybe, but she was still family and family was important. Or so it would be. Kat's family didn't appreciate or respect her. She didn't live with them any longer. She'd moved away to an apartment over a mechanic shop. She took up work there as she had always had a knack and love for machinery and the way they worked and repairing the broken things just seemed to come naturally to her.

 

Katerin lay back down on the bed. It wasn't long before she fell asleep again. She didn't have much on her mind except shock. She could hardly believe what she said was true. There was some other reason, obviously. Maybe the facility had burned, but everyone got out without a scratch, not just her. She couldn't possibly have been the only one out. Her sister was alive, she was alive. She'd go home and be berated by her mother, ignored by her father and sister and all would be good.

 

"So you're Katerin Kelly?" A tall, thin man with broad shoulders and a sallow face that showed age came in the door and sat down by her bed. 

"Yes, sir." She said with tire in her usually chipper voice which now seemed hoarse.

"In that case, allow me to welcome you to the ship. This is the Alliance vessel Monument." He said plainly. His voice was level and calm, familiar with no reason to be. "We'll be taking you to the Citadel. There are programmes to help the refugees and survivors of the affected colonies there."

"Affected colonies? So Polius wasn't the only one...?" She said, shaking her head. "This is- How long?"

"About four months now. Seven planets have been hit already, including Polius." He said. "It's been in the news since the first colony was lost. The doctor said you were in some kind of coma. You must have been out longer than we thought. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I can't remember a lot from before you found me. I remember... it was Thanksgiving and I was working. I kept running into people who were either screaming or trying to kill me. I locked up my shop and called the police but by the time they got there they'd all gone. It was that wird chemical in the air, wasn't it?"

"It had been affecting the colony for quite some time before the Alliance was even called in." He said. "When we got there, the people were in the final stages. Everyone except those in the facility."

"Can I ask what they were studying?" Kat asked, raising her brow curiously.

"I'm afraid we don't know. The information they kept was written down on paper, which of course burned. We haven't been able to get back and find anything salvageable."

"I suppose I should try and find someplace new to go." She said, mostly to herself. She didn't have a lot of money. She had no real contacts off of her home place, really. She knew a few people, but they surely wouldn't be jumping for joy to help her. Kat's parents were only letting her stay there because her sister was still only twelve years old and couldn't be left alone all the time. She did it for her sister, and that she only had to pay her bills and rent money for her parents. It wasn't really how she pictured living her life, but she hadn't planned on staying on Polius forever, either. Now... she didn't have a home to return to. There was only one colony. No one wanted to live on the planet with it's frozen temperatures and little to no attraction.

"We'll be there soon, miss Katerin. The doctor recommends resting." Kat didn't think she could do anymore resting. She felt drowsy, overwhelmed and very, very shocked.

 

She'd always hated being around her family. It was something she considered important and she wanted one of her own, but she had an awful experience with them and wanted nothing more than to leave them behind and start her own one day. Of course, not until much, much later. She was still young and would enjoy it without children. That didn't mean she went out with friends or went clubbing. For her a night of passion and fun meant orange juice and target practice or an action film at midnight. She wished for a more social life, but was usually considered too quirky or too inquisitive, too mature or had no idea of how to let loose. She disagreed, but it wasn't her opinion that mattered to others.

 

Finally, after the gentle hum of the ship's engine and the clean, crisp feel of the med bay lulled her to sleep, she dreamt of tightening screws on some broken heap of machinery, oil and grease smeared over her clothes or across her nose and cheeks. She dreamt of the life she led as a mechanic, fixing anything from vehicles to ships to computers as a hobby. She dreamt of tinkering with small and large things alike. With a wrench in hand, nut and bolts in the other, she was happy. Until, of course, someone woke her out of it.

 

"Wake up, Kelly." She opened her eyes to see the freckle-faced doctor, Red Len, standing above her.

"Are we at the citadel?" She asked.

"Yep!" She chirped. "I apologize for the clothing, but it's what we can give you." She said. Kat only now noticed she was wearing a white t-shirt that was tight and a pair of blue pants drawn together with string so they wouldn't fall off of her hips.

"It's better than nothing." She said. "I should thank you. You know, for treating my burns." She said.

"It's my duty and my passion to help." She nodded. "Well, Miss Kelly. I wish you luck. Riordan will show you off the ship." She said as she gestured to the door. "That medicine should heal your wounds quickly. I'd say a week and you won't have to worry about it, but it will scar. Of course ,there are things you can use that will fade them, even." She said.  
Kat didn't relish the thought of having to take care of burns or having the scars on her neck, arm and face to show for it. "Oh, and the stitches can be taken out in about two to three weeks." She said. 

 

Kat thanked her again and left the med-bay to see a woman with red hair, though unlike the doctor's strikingly odd hair color, and brown eyes. She wore a blue shirt with her sleeves rolled up and pants to match tucked into the tops of her boots. She impatiently ushered her forward and out to the exit of the ship, to the docking bay of the Citadel. 

After they were able to leave the ship, Kat drank in the wondrous sight of the stars and the sky around them. She also got a good glance at the ship and marvelled in it's beauty. Kat didn't see many ships above personal transport and shuttle size living on Polius. Rarely did the Alliance land or leave Polius, so there wasn't a lot of through traffic.

 

The ship was impressive in size and in power, but wasn't overly attractive. It was heavy metal and had no exterior lay to cover-up the bolts and the build of the ship. It was an Alliance fleet vessel with a bullet-like shape to it. Long and aerodynamic with no general shape to it, save the wings that did extend forward and out, then immediately back parallel with the ship's body.

 

To hold onto what must have been the drive core and mass effect field regulators, a flat, circular disk that had blue energy pouring out of it and around it, was a solid wall on each side that appeared to be sideways faring elevators, going off of the lights in squares along the walls outsides, with two single strips also with lights. The ship appeared as a bird with blue flames trailing off of the feathers from it's tail, aggressive and bold. With no windows, Kat wasn't sure she'd be able to tell top from bottom if it weren't for the slightly tilted down angle of the wings.

 

She wasn't able to stay and just be mesmerized by the beauty of space or the things riding on it's marvel, and was forced to keep moving. She followed Maggie to where the elevator and walked in, turning around and facing Maggie just as she pressed the button.

"'Bye now!" Maggie said, turning around and leaving s the elevator doors shut after her. Katerin sighed and folded her arms tightly as she rode the elevator down. When the door opened she realised she had no idea where she was and the Citadel was a very, very large place and large places intimidated Kat. She had a tendency to get lost.

 

However, Kat was determined not to let that falter her. She took in in stride and strode. Strode across the room as she found herself to be one of about twenty humans in total in whatever section sh was in. Everyone else was either a turian, salarian, asari or, she noticed with a shudder, an elcor. There weren't too many of them, but she had never been fond of the way they looked or spoke. The way they announced every emotion they experience or how slow they spoke. Emotions were to be felt and expressed, not demanded or shouted! That they were like elephants with a shredded trunk. In her mind they were very strange, nigh on frightening looking beings. She wasn't afraid of them, per se, but she absolutely did not want to interact with them, be near them or even look at them.

 

Kat hadn't ever seen so many aliens. She hoped to see some humans, but she felt like an outsider. So far, most of the people gathered in the area were turians, and half of them were giving her strange looks. She hadn't seen any qaurians, and was a bit curious until she remembered that they weren't really a citadel species. Or that they ever left there flotilla. She wondered why, but unless she met one she probably wouldn't ever know. She didn't think it'd really be polite to ask, anyway. The topic of species and race could be touchy and risky, but most aliens were open about sharing their culture, or so she had seen. Polius wasn't exactly bustling on a normal day, let alone when a ship stopped for supplies. Any aliens that were on those ships expected questions from the locals, so it was no big deal to them.

 

Once she admitted to herself she was lost and felt rather helpless and upset she stopped. She could think of several things that would cheer her spirits. On an average day something in her hands to keep her occupied or a cup of orange juice, her favorite think to drink, would make her feel at home again, relaxing her and putting her in a good mood. However, a squeezed out fruit and a stress ball wouldn't help her now. It could fix a long day at work filled with many ups and downs, but it couldn't' handle the devastating cries of agony she heard that she would haunt her.

She wasn't too shaken up about it and it almost bothered her. Weren't people supposed to deal with grief and trauma in a normal way? Like sorrow and depression? Anxiety- fear even? After all, she had stitches in her leg, burns on her body, her sister had been killed and her life had ripped apart all while she was left almost untouched physically. And yet she was only fighting back tears and felt frustrated and pent up inside, like everything in her was being stirred like a pot of loss and unfathomable events her mind refused to accept. She just felt, emptiness and sadness in her like, but she wasn't as rocked and torn apart as she imagined this would be. Almost like she was ignoring it.

 

 

 

"Going somewhere?" A voice asked behind her, suddenly forcing her out of her thoughts and causing her to attempt leaping away less than amicably as a small squeak of a cry escaped her lips. 

"Ha-aah!" She exclaimed, whirling around and attempting t back away at the same time. She tripped over her feet and fell hard on her knee. She winced and cursed under her breath, scrunching her nose as she stood back up. "Oh, sweet God... I thought you were an elcor." She exhaled slowly and gathered herself. She'd gotten lost in the flow of her thoughts and hadn't even heard The turian standing before her.

"Sincerest apologies, human. It was not my intention to startle you." He said, mocking the way they announced their thoughts and expressions before each sentence in a drawl of sarcasm and a snarky voice.

"Ah, anyway." She said, clearing her thought as she brushed herself off and blushed. "I- no. I'm not actually sure where I'm going. I've never been to the Citadel."

"Tourist." The man said. He was a turian, like most seemed to be in this place. His voice, for a non-human, was pleasant. She hadn't heard many turians, but from those that she had heard they didn't always sound melodic or smooth like his. Typically it was raspy with a light flanging effect, but his was more slippery and soft, with the sound of flanging to his stronger than it need be for others. "I take it there's somewhere in particular you're trying to go?"

"I'm, um..." She paused. She didn't want to say it out loud to herself, but especially not to someone she didn't know. "I'm from one of the colonies. I was told to try and find the programmes, but I don't even know where I am."

"I thought so. You have the look of a colonist. I have business there, so you might as well follow me." He said like it was mandatory he offer.

"Oh, thanks. What colony are you from?" She asked as he led her toward a round doorway to the left of the elevator.

He chuffed. "Ha, well, I am from a colony, but I haven't been home in years." He said without care. If he did miss his homeplace he didn't express his longing.

 

When the turian opened the round door and slid to the side, she saw that it was an entire building full of people and everyone was either sitting in a group playing cards or looking depressed over a cup of water. But, and she cringed to see it, more people were being treated for injuries.

"This is horrible..." She thought aloud, looking around the room.

"It get worse. These are the ones who survived or aren't in the hospitals. The symptoms are bad." He said grimly with a slithery rumble of his voice.

"I don't think I really need to be here." She said meekly, pausing to look around herself with a drop of her spirits and a churn in her gut.

"Do you have family? A home? A job?" He asked, making his point.

"... No." She said with a sigh.

"They can help you find work here. If nothing else you can see if they'll hire you to help out. You'd feel better about yourself, anyway." He said lazily as one of the men working there stepped out from around a huddle of seated people. The turian then left and headed about his own business, apparently looking for someone as he poked around the clusters of colonists.

 

 

"Kat, is that you?" She turned her attention to the man in front of her. He had thick lips, dark to medium brown skin and short, buzzed off hair. His eyes were green like hers, but his round, smooth cheekbones and long eyelashes nearly mirrored her's. The only thing that set them apart was that Kat was, aside from being a female, was slightly shorter and her skin was a coffee shade. And, of course, that their parents were harder on Kat than they ever were with her brother.

 

"Marcus! I haven't seen you in forever!" She hugged him tightly, breathing in the familiar scent of her brother. Only now, overlaying that smell was one of a hospital, clean and sterilized.

"Ah, man. I remember you being chunky and having an afro. When did you cut it short?" He said, flicking a tuft of short, brown hair that brushed her shoulders."It had enough body and personality I was even thinking about giving it a name." He laughed, mockingly and gently punching her shoulder.

She smiled warmly. She'd missed his sense of humor. "I like it short." She said.

"So, where's baby Rhiannon? Oy, she must be, like, elev- twelve now! She was so little when I left." He said. He seemed so excited about seeing his sister. She almost didn't want to tell him.

"Rhiannon... she didn't make it out." She said, looking away from him and wrapping her fingers around the shirt she wore.

"What do you- What happened?" He asked, stepping closer to one of the chairs lined up by the wall and taking a seat.

"I don't really know. IT's all...fuzzy. When I woke up we were both covered in some kind of oil coating, strapped to metal table like we were going to be dissected. But there was a fire in the room she was in. I couldn't get to her," Her voice started to catch and shake. "and by the time someone got there to help us the walls or the ceiling or something had fallen in and they couldn't get to her." She sniffled, her eyes wet.

"No..." He breathed. "What about mom and dad? Did they... get out?"

"I don't know." She said. While she never would have thought she'd care, they were still family. Now that they were gone, well. It wasn't much different, but she hadn't said goodbye or even seen them since she left home at sixteen.

"When was all this?" He asked. "I heard that Polius got hit, but I didn't know it was that bad. They won't talk about it much."

"Only a few hours. Maybe twelve? I haven't tried calling home, but you know about the chemicals. If they are down there... I don't know they'd be safe." She said bitterly but honestly.

He shook his head, closing his eyes and holding his head in his hands. After a while, when things fell into place, he stood up and hugged her again briefly before turning loose and saying, "You can come stay with me, Kat. There's not much room in my apartment, but it's all I got." He said. "I could never turn my baby sister out."

"Thanks, Marcus. Do you think there's any need for a mechanic here?" She asked. "I'd like to keep busy for a while."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess you could try the docks. There's always someone willing to hire." He made a fist and held up his arm. He pressed a few buttons on his omni-tool until he found what he was looking for. She held her arm next to his as they beeped and flashed. "There. I live on the third floor." He said. She nodded and closed the sent document.

"I think I'm gonna go check into that. I'll let you... y'know." She shrugged.

"See you at home." He said solemnly. It had started out a sweet reunion. She didn't talk to her brother in person, she'd only sent emails every now and then when she wasn't busy. They'd been good friends but Marcus had little time in med school and he had even more on his plate now that he was a nurse.

 

Katerin sighed and turned to leave. She at least still had her identification and her bank account. After she found herself a job she would be headed straight to the bar for celebration and put those things to good use. She missed having her own work shop. She had put time and effort into getting it. Once she had gotten enough credits to buy it from her old bood, she did. It was her dream to have a shop of her own. Unfortunately it didn't last long.

 

Kat found her way out of C-Sec academy but was overwhelmed by the massive size and the clean, dirt repellant way it shone. It was bright and clear, She could see the ships coming in and docking. At first she thought it must have been where the docks were at and that it would be easy enough for her to follow. Until, of course, she noticed they were docking on every arm of the citadel. There must have been a dock in every ward, then. She wondered how they could possibly keep track of everything that went on. How did they manage to keep every file on every person who made it up in their mind that they would see tha infamous Citadel? That they would live there? And how did they keep everything peaceful with an abundance of so many races?

 

Kat was trying to follow the signs and the directions they either listed briefly or in the way the arrows pointed. But somehow, when she went forward she ended up back at the same place again without ever seeming to turn around to go left or right. She'd even stopped to ask different people how too get to the closest docks or where she even was. She had managed at one point to get herself back to the entrance to C-Sec, but saw where she was and turned back with a more flustered, hot temper than she'd had all day. She'd woken up in a strange new place and could barely remember much else and yet she was still angrier and more raw than she had been then. After all, she was away from home for the first time, lost, her head was pounding and throbbing, her emotions were running loose and exposed and she just felt... afraid. Lost. Well, she was lost. She had no idea where she was.

 

No longer mesmerized by the clean beauty of the citadel, she tried to cool herself down instead of letting her temper get the best of her. If she looked up she could see some of the other wards as well as the ring that they were all connected to. She could see ships flying around the citadel and those that were docking, the hum of cars above her head. Unfortunately, being in the citadel wasn't as amazing as she thought it had been. She finally stopped sight-seeing, realizing she'd spent enough of her time getting lst in following the bloody directions and didn't need to waste the few precious few seconds staring at the clouds in the citadel. Unfortunately, though she'd hoped that she'd be able to find herself after asking a less than approachable turian how to find the nearest dock. When she took the left she thought that he meant and ended up taking the wrong left and not being able to find her way back to where she had been told to take said left and ended up going on an entirely different path by reading the signs that pointed her in a direction opposite of what she thought it was going in she 

was ready to scream. After another left turn, to which she now despised the direction, she was turned away by some Asari with datapads in their hands as they shooed her and called her a duct rat.

 

Eventually, she ended up in the Wards again and sat down on a bench. When Kat hung her head in her knees and gave a muffled cry of aggravation, the fellow human who was sitting beside her looked over, no longer listening to Citadel news on the extranet.

"Ho, man." He breathed as she huffed. "You really need to visit Purgatory. I mean, there are other bars and Purgatory is pretty pricey, but... Damn. You could use the expensive liquor." He whistled and shook his head, rising to his feet and starting to walk away.

"Wait! Wait!" He turned around as Kat stood up. "What is Purgatory?" She smiled weakly, her brow turning upward at the inner corners.

"Ha! You must be new to the Citadel if you don't know. It's the night club right down that stretch there. You'll know when you get there." He said.

She sighed. "I really should be looking for the docks..." She said, laying her head back. She was starting to feel the stress related headache swooping in with all it's force. She rubbed her temples but it didn't help her any.

"The docks, huh? Well, you're headed in the right direction." He pointed to a sign that glowed nearby just in front of the wall in large, blocky orange letters.

"'Zakera Docks... seven hundred and fifty feet..." She sighed and mumbled under her breath. If she'd known that she wouldn't have stopped to rest. While her feet were beginning to complain of having walked for so long she ignored the, trudging on like an ox burdened with the weighing struggle of hauling around guilt and thoughts she was fighting to keep at bay behind her, strapped heavily on her shoulders which were threatening to succumb.

 

However much Kat tried to keep her frustration at bay, she still felt the desire of giving into the temptation of heading to a bar instead. Liqour could calm her nerves just as easily as having a wrench in her hand, hearing the rewarding song of a vessel starting up after she repaired a faulty main engine or fixing the mass effect fields on a ship. The only difference was that she got paid to do one and not the other. One would keep her sober and happy, the other would keep her drunken and blissful; though perhaps not in an admirable way.

 

When Kat's hazel eyes finally landed on the glowing, flickering sign that read 'Zakera Docks; Level 28' she raised a brow curiously. She distinctly recall having been in this area before, but she couldn't' remember going down any sets of stairs of riding any elevators. She must have, but she was surprised to find that she'd gone down several levels without noticing. She was even more put off by the thought that she had been here when she caught the smell of ship fuel and the colder, crisp air that came from the fans and vents that were more frequent here. The low, gruff sound of krogan talking amongst themselves, the somewhat muffled sound of quarians speaking through their suits, the flanging of turians and the ever-frightening drull of an elcor bickering in a dead voice only interrupted by the replying screech of a vorcha. She was annoyed that she'd been here before had been too blind or stupid to know it, but she took a deep breath and tried to ignore it. She wasn't entirely sure of how she was going to find work by just showing up and asking around, but she'd not really had an interview with the previous owner of the shop she had- or rather, used to have. He had been the one she took work shop classes from and when he noticed her natural talent for it he told her when she was ready to come work for him. Of course she took him up on that offer and had her first and only job at sixteen when she left home. Now, at twenty two years she was going to try and find a job again. Finding work on Polius was easy. You could talk to people and be hired in less than three days. If you lived in the slums you were 'unemployed' but everyone knew that there were gangs and thugs down there. The crime and death rate proved it.

 

She finally got outside and was at the docking station, staring out at space. She always loved the sight of the stars all swirled together, birightly lighting up the sky and the space around her. The vast, openness, the planets spotted across the galaxy, the promise of endless possibilities. The pirates tearing through space like in books, the pioneers who discovered new, habitable planets, the dashing rogues who made the women swoon on every world they visited. The great ship's they stole and rode away in. she had to admit, the thought of going pirate was an enticing one, but not one for her. She loved ships but breaking the law in more ways than she could count sounded too dangerous. Living on a prison ship or in a prison camp for the rest of her days didn't sound as fascinating and tantalizing as committing the feats did.

 

"Genuinely interested, can I help you, human?" She heard the drone come from her left (Again with that accursed direction!) and she instantly felt her inside stir and twist. She sputtered, words and screams caught up in her throat as she pranced in place. She felt hiccups come instantly upon her and she squeezed her arms to her chest, tightening up and trying to shrink away so the breeze would tote her off and she could escape on the wind. When it didn't work, she made a face like she'd eaten a sour lemon and breathed out in a high-pitched squeal of fright "Hee!" She wrung her hands and side stepped, managing not to leave but to tangle her legs together and fall, scrunching away as she tripped over herself and stood up again.

"Confused, did I startle you?" The elcor said, tilting his head at her and raising a hand... arm... thing briefly.

"Blugechhh." Was all she managed to say. "A-Ah, n-no. Not at, uh, at all. Guhhhh." Her unintelligible mumblings only seem to further prove her inability to function under the overpowering stare of the grey devils.

"Are you looking for something, human?" The elcor asked.

Did she want to answer and drag out the conversation even longer than it already was? Or did she want to just take flight and leave? "Ah, no!" She sniffled, beside herself as she whimpered and laughed hysterically, nervous excitement coursing through her body.

"Concerned, have a good day."

"Blugeh..." She mumbled, relief washing over her as she scrambled away. She probably should have said yes, but that was much too frazzled and skittish to react intelligently. She realised she'd gotten a few looks by now, but most of them were diverted without care or interest in foolish paranoia of one deranged newcomer.

Kat brushed herself off and walked around the docks a ways until she finally got far enough away from where she thought any elcor were. She passed a man who was directing a group of dockworkers, asking several if they had seen two men by the names of Jusco and Grek. She ignored the scene and continued walking. When she saw two men slacking off, smoking and stealing swigs from a metal flask one had pulled out of his coat. She approached one of the dockworkers who wasn't busy. She heard them saying something before she approached them, but she didn't bring it up. It sounded to her like they were rummaging through the boxes he were standing around. One of them had said that they shouldn't take too much or someone would notice, but she didn't know what they were taking and really didn't care.

 

"Uh, hey. Um, I was looking to see if maybe I could, like, find... work? I guess?" She said, rubbing the back of her neck. She realised how ridiculous the idea of finding work immediately seemed, but she wanted a distraction.

The two quickly shoved what looked like boxes of expensive tools designed for detecting energy leakage. They were hard to come by and very, very pricey. There were other things used only for work on large ships, but what they were she couldn't quite tell. "Heheh. Look, cutie, this isn't a place someone like you really finds 'work'." The man said in a scratchy voice that gave off an impression of not being used, or one of smoking for years. She also noticed how his eyes were fixated on her breasts and she remembered she wasn't wearing anything beneath her t-shirt.

Rolling her eyes disgustedly, she crossed her arms and retorted "I am a damn good mechanic and I'm a hard worker. more than you can say." She said.

"Please, pussy-cat. You can't be a mechanic. You're too clean and pretty. I'll bet you haven't touched a wrench in your life. Heh heh, we could change that." The pig elbowed his friend who joined in with laughter.

"Maybe your boss could join us? After all he seems like he'll be happy when he finds you guys." She gasped, hand to her mouth as she said mockingly, "Oh, but that's right... He said he'd, what was it? 'Space the two drunks who were shitting away his time.' That doesn't sound very good, does it? Should we see if he was kidding?"

"Alright, alright! Damn, bitch. Don't get your panties in a bunch."

"Don't piss me off." She returned. She'd defend her dignity and get what she wanted. Well, hopefully.

"Go check the roster up at the entrance to the docks. The board'll have what you want. Someone's always willing to take on a freebie." He sneered, taking another swig of his drink.

"Was that so hard?" She replied snidely as she turned on her heel and left the two vile men to their booze. Even the elcor's presence didn't affect her on that level. Pigish, chauvinistic assholes did. They were blights on society, staring at women like sex dolls. In this day and age 

shouldn't that sort of thing be over? Of course, there were still strip clubs and prostitution. Until men didn't look at women that way and women didn't allow them to it wouldn't be any different. Still, it was better than it could be. She didn't often come across men like that, but when she did it ground against her nerves like salt that pressed into a wound by a hand of vengeance.

 

 

When Kat passed the man in charge of the dockworkers he was talking to someone from C-Sec, likely a friend of his, complaining of how often Jusco and Grek were gone. She thought a moment, spitefully, but decided on it anyway. She wasn't a spiteful person by nature, but she also didn't usually have much reason to be spiteful to begin with.

"I think I might know where your lazy slouches are." She said, stopping by the two men.

"Then, please. Share." The first man said as he turned to look her over with amusement at her sudden interjection.

"They're back behind the crates, drinking and making sexist comments."

He smiled and chuffed. "Pff. Fine, thanks. At least someone found them. I'll send someone over to retrieve them."

"And your missing supplies. Like an Energy Block, iridium and I'm guessing mass effect generators from the looks of it." She said, thinking on what some of the things in the crates were.

"Damn. That-" HE shook his head. "Jarvis, go to storage and bring Jusco and Grek back with you." He said, directing one of the men who was reading a manual and staring blankly at a piece of equipment, twisting it around in his hands like he was lost. The man practically dropped it as he scurried off to follow out on his task.

"Do you mind if I...?" She nodded to the piece.

"I don't care. No one else can figure what to do with it." He said.

She bent down and picked it up. She looked it over for a few seconds before she chuckled simply and put her omni-tool beisde it, sitting in the crook of her elbow as she pressed a few buttons. The locks on the spherical piece released and it hissed.

"Hey!" The man said, reaching out to take it away from her before he took another look at it and laughed. "I can't believe it. It's part of a core reactor drive for a small ship."

"You never tried opening it?" She asked, furrowing her brow in a quizzical fashion.

He shrugged, tossing his hands up before letting them fall back down by his sides. HE looked as if he were about to say something when he looked over her shoulder and frowned. She turned around to see the two brutish men she'd spoken with grumbling as they walked over to where they were standing like foul old men reminiscing bitterly in past wars and how 'some alien' blew out their knee.

 

"Jusco!" The mechanic yelled. "I shouldn't have to say this, but don't come back." HE crossed his arms and shook his head.

"You're firing me? You can't fire me!" Jusco sputtered. "My... my sister is pregnant and I gotta support 'er. She ain't got no where else to go. You can't fire me like this!" He threw his hands and stamped his foot insistently.

"Should I toss you off a ship somewhere? I don't care what you do so long as you don't do it here." He said. "Now get out. And take Grek with you." He sighed.

Jusco threw horrible swears as he stormed away and Grek wasn't far behind him.

 

"Lazy sons of... Thanks, kid. Name's Daniel." HE extended a hand and she took it in acknowledgement. "You wouldn't happen to be a mechanic, would you?" He said, raising a brow with his inquisition.

"Actually, I would." She smiled. Her luck might turn out if he was interested "You look a bit like a colonist," He said, gesturing to her clothing. She knew she needed different clothing, but she presumably needed to re-outfit her entire wardrobe. It wasn't likely she'd be able to go back to the colony to get any of her things. "Which means you need a job. Or so I'm guessing."

"That's why I came here." She said, excitedly as she anticipated something good that would open a new life and beginning for her. Something to take her mind off of the trauma of losing her home and comfortable surroundings.

"So, how's about it? I'm down a few men right now and you cant be worse than anything that's already here." HE joked, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder in the direction Jusco and Grek had left in.

"You would offer me a job now?" She asked.

"Yeah, why not? I don't really care. So long as you can fix things you're fine by me. So. You want in or not?"

"Yes!" She gasped, clapping her hands together and smiling with a burst of laughter in a fit of joy and anxiousness. She cleared her throat and hopefully her dignity. "Uh, thank you, sir. That'd be really super awesome." She said less than amicably. Though her voice was calm and steady, though rather embarrassed, it did not restore her level of professionalism.

 

Luckily, Daniel only made an odd face, possibly surprised by her sudden spew of guffaws and happiness over something she had to be expecting. He shook his head and overlooked it. He asked what experience she had, discussed her pay, what she would be asked to do, when she would work. How soon could she work? Immediately, f course. In fact, she'd prefer to work as soon as possible. He looked at her information, saw proof of her ownership of a business in mechanic repair on vehicles of transport as well as her identification and where she 

learned. He nodded approvingly as he read and didn't take him long by anyone's standards to find what he liked and accept her. Apparently, he'd give her a test run, essentially. She was certified to work on ships and cars and the like, but was she good enough? Apparently, she'd be working under one of his other employees to make sure she could work on ships, but if she wasn't good enough she'd just stay on cars. He seemed very slack about hiring her. He didn't know her or really even interview her. He just... hired her. But apparently, the person she'd be learning under was the best mechanic he'd ever seen. Really knew his stuff about ships and their insides. Grasped the feel and understanding of machines with perfect comprehension, almost like he was a machine, not a man.

 

"Oh, and one more thing, Kelly. Here. For your service." He said.

"A hundred creds?" She said, raising her brow as she looked at how much money he transferred.

"If you knew how money those pricks cost me, you'd get it. Damned C-Sec couldn't catch the bastards. Pffbt. That;s because you have to get off your ass to do it." He sneered. "Anyway, go find the kid. He's on that ship now, fixing a failure in the systems."

"Gotcha." She said, nodding like she was a soldier on a mission. Or at least that she had something to do besides think about her sister's screams. How she let her family down. How she never got an apology for what they did to her. They turned her out and she hadn't seen them since. Her mother never talked to her. She never brought her dates back to her father so he could be protective. Her and Rye never painted each other's fingernails or braided each other's hair. It was her and Marcus. Thank God he was still okay. It was good he left before... before what happened. If only it hadn't happened at all. She wasn't the only one to suffer loss.

 

Katerin boarded the ship and looked around. There were red lights set up around the halls of the ship, but only here and there. Most of the ship was dark and she kept tripping over opened panels, hanging wires and cables. She heard distinctive sounds resonating through the walls, hammering, clanking, whirring. The sounds of mechanic work, one she was familiar with and took comfort in.

 

When she got in, she didn't see anyone. She heard the noises, looked around, crossed her arms and waited but still saw no one. That was, until someone dropped down from a hole in the ceiling and landed nearly a foot in front of her.

 

Kat tripped over the cables scattered about the ground and yet another flap to keep the wires where they belonged. It seemed whomever was doing repairs couldn't locate whatever it was they were trying to because all along the walls panels had been pulled down and wires pulled out of the way or completely ripped out. Katerin's eyes were still wide and she had her arms crossed tightly, staring blankly and bashfully. She didn't like to think herself so skittish anf flighty, but she was proving to herself she really was.  
"Hey." She hadn't noticed, but the boy now stood in the doorway, hands in the pockets of his dark blue hoodie with white lining around the bottom and the strings that hung down from the hood around his shoulders.

 

He had light blue puppy dog eyes and a small nose with light freckles. his short blonde hair brushed his defined jaw. The front was pulled back into a tiny puff of a ponytail that left no hair to get in his face. His features were soft and almost a bit feminine, but she was sure that was just his tired expression, soft lips and long hair at works.

 

He wore a pair of blue cargo pants that greatly matched his hoodie with dingy wrappings that were torn and covered in blood and dirt around his thighs and on the left was one tied around his calf, another on his upper arm. Sticking out his pockets were several tools, but also a great deal of cigarettes, suggesting he smoed quite frequently. However, she was wondering why there was blood on he cloth. Was he injured... or was someone else? And did she need to be worried?

 

"Uh, hi." She said awkwardly. She didn't exactly want to look at him. "Y'know, I think I'm easily scared... but what the hell were you doing in the ceiling?" She said haughtily.

"Being a mechanic?" He said carelessly. "Name's Jonah. Gonna help with this or not?"

"Katerin. And yes, because it's my job." She scoffed.

 

Katerin wasn't sure she liked him so much, just had a feeling against him. She had learned not to let her gut feeling go ignored after working at bars and being a female mechanic. She'd heard so many comments about what kind of wrench she could have in her hand she was practically immune to them. She tuned out the forward slur of someone's voice the moment she heard it so she hardly even heard their comments about tools in her hands. Why did people think she'd find that acceptable? In anyone's mind, that shouldn't be acceptable.

 

This man looked bored and alternative. Different from every other mechanic she'd met. She couldn't figure him out, which bothered her. Kat liked to be analytical. But alas, no amount of glaring at him would make her feel any better or solve anything. If it would get her switched to somebody else to watch her, though, she'd do it for eight hours straight if that was what it took. If nothing else she'd get a medal for trying.

 

"Yeah, just... fix this. I've been working on it for a week. So get it done." He said.

"Well, can you tell me anything you've found so far?" She said, narrowing her eyes and snorting t him impatiently.

"Nope. I'm just supposed to watch you. No one said anything about helping." He smirked, winking at her before finall deciding on the cigarette and leaving down one of the halls. She couldn't say where he was going, she didn't want to know. She didn't care.

"Insolent little..." She mumbled to herself, shaking her head and thinking impolite, nasty thoughts with no good will. most of them pointed to him being some sort of skirt chasing, chain smoker with a subscription to Fornax who was young and didn't give a damn about anyone or anything and smoked Hova behind the dumpsters at bars. As this was all speculation, she couldn't say that she had any right to dislike him, except that the first time she met him he had startled her but it was still no reason to decide against him.

 

 

Three hours later, Katerin was hungry and had grease in her hair, smudged across her nose and over her arms. Luckily it didn't get on her white t-shirt terribly, but there were a few stains on the bottom. She was neck deep in gears, wires and engine fuel by the time she found the problem and the solution.

 

By that point Jonah had returned and was leaning against the wall behind her, one hand cross on his stomach tucked under the other as he smoked, hip cocked and foot rested on the wall. She was surprised it took him so long to figure out what was wrong with it. One of the panels on the inside of the computer system was old and worn out. It had possibly gotten too hot, but it was nothing serious. Unfortunately, it was at the bottom of the computer system. She had to stretch down over the wall of the container it sat in until she could reach it.

 

"Y'know, you've got a nice ass." Jonah said after a while.

She stood up without having paid attention to the fact she was still bent over inside the computer and hit her head on the frame, wincing as she touched her forehead. There was a small amount of blood just along her hairline, but it wasn't pouring or streaming down her face. "What the hell?" She said, shocked by his remark.

He shrugged innocently. "Calm down, it was a compliment." He said.

"A compliment?" She groaned, rubbing her temples and squeezing her eyes shut. How could she put this nicely and still explain it to him? "That is not a compliment."

"I'm Sorry. Should I have said it looks really wide instead?" He leered.

"What? Just... You do your job I'll do mine."

"Well, see, currently you don't have a job. That depends on me." He pointed out.

"I know that." She frowned. Where was he going with this?

"So, don't be so touchy. If you end up working here you don't need to get your panties in a bunch just because I think you have a nice ass."

"Don't look at my ass!" She said, infuriated and a bit violated.

"What was I supposed to look at? Sorry, kitten, but this isn't the sixteenth century. I don't find your ankles sexy." She might have been happy to be complimented if it weren't from him, but she didn't want him to find anything about her sexy.

"I really need a job..." She said to herself. "I really, really need this job." She said. She reached back into the computer, praying he wouldn't look at her, and tried to see what if she could fix the ship's issue. "The panel needs to be replaced. It's an F2-7 series model, do you have any?"

"Let me check." HE said, pulling up a menu on his omni-tool. "What's the model number?"

"663096." She said.

"Ha! I fucking hate that number." He said, shaking his head, hands on his waist with his wrist rolled forward.

"What's special about that number?" Kat asked, curiosity getting the better of her as usual.  
He waved a hand and scrunched his nose dismissively with unimportance. "Ah, just an inmate number."

"Not yours I hope." She said. What did this kid go to jail for did she even want to know?

"Nah." He said. "Someone I know, though." He shrugged it off.

"Who?" She spoke before she could hold it back. She cringed. Why was she entertaining conversation with the likes of him?

He laughed, a sound between chuckling and chuffing, almost like a hum or as though he was taken of guard. "Full of questions, are we?"

"Hmmph." She snorted. She frowned at him just to show her disapproval of him, even if she wasn't still so angry with him.

 

She wasn't going to forget what he said, though. Jonah swore when he saw they did not, in fact, have that model of equipment in stock, but he did place an order for it. She didn't disagree with swearing, but she didn't see the need for excessive use. Kat herself didn't swear, save the exceptional cases of bashing her head against a low hanging post, stubbing her toe or being startled by elcor.

 

However, the elcor induced swearing usually just came out as mumbling slurs that weren't actual words, but she thought them. If thinking counted she probably had more language than a drunken sailor. She made no claim to being reasonable or sane in her phobia of and reaction to elcor. She couldn't' rationalize it, but she wasn't sure she really had a reason for being so afraid of them. Other than that they looked like any minute they would swallow her whole or trample her. They just had this presence of... evil.

 

Katerin then left the ship. What with them having nothing to fix it with there was nothing they could do for it yet. She set to work on something different, a few smaller cars. Honestly, she wasn't used to working on the cars of the citadel or really anything without wheels. They were like shuttles, really, but she didn't really work on those, either. Luckily Jonah was with her so she had someone with experience showing her what to do. Katerin wasn't happy about working with someone like him. She still had the image of the activity she'd interrupted while his words played over in his mind. She'd thought she was doing poorly until he made a comment about how well she was doing for someone who'd never worked on one of these kinds of vehicles.

 

"See, that's a real compliment." She smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear again.

"Well, I'll have to keep that in mind." Jonah said, still looking at the car. "Scan it and we'll see if the engine's all fixed up." He said, stepping out of the room of grey steel and into the main room. It was a large one with lots for different vehicles. Ships were kept in a much, much larger one or on top of the building or kept outside on arms. Cars where kept in a garage with a hall in front of it. On each side of the hall were panels to scan the vehicles. Jonah activated the scanner, waiting for an analysis. When it flashed green and beeped positively he made a satisfied face and said "Than we're done here. Actually, we're done for the day." He said. "Wanna go to Purgatory tonight?"

"Purgatory?" She raised a naturally straight brow. "That's the strip club, right?"

"Danny said you were a colonist. Purgatory is a nightclub. He suggested we should go and get a few drinks and get to know each other."

"I'm not sure what you think you'll get out of me, but I won't put out." She said, trying to clear up their boundaries before he tried anything with her.

"I don't want to bone you, kitten. I just wanna drink. C'mon, kid. Danny said he'd drop by and have a round with us."

"Fine." She said. "I guess I could do that."

"How's eight sound?" He said, hands shoved into his pockets.

"Meet you there." She said. She hoped he didn't expect to get anything out of her. She was going for drinks and that was it. It would be nice to get out. Maybe. She was torn between staying at home and actually following through and meeting him there. She could at least get to know about the citadel. She missed Polius, but there wasn't a lot of call for her go out. Her wardrobe consisted primarily of baggy shirts and leggings. Kat didn't go out on the town. She mostly stayed around home, dancing poorly, fixing things, tinkering with things she shouldn't until she figured out how to and watched movies over ice cream, likely not an intelligent choice since she lived on a frozen planet. Of course, she'd have to get a new outfit since she had only this one. A tight t-shirt that showed off her long torso and loose pants that hid her proportionately long legs.

 

Katerin left the building feeling that she'd not done a full days work. Of course, she hadn't, really. She had a terrible feeling that she was forgetting something and it was nagging her. It was like... it was like she couldn't well place why she was here. She remembered that an airborne insanity virus hit Polius and that she'd not been affected and had gotten off of Polius, but she didn't know why or how. She couldn't remember why she wasn't still on Polius. She remembered... she remembered being on a ship, with a doctor. Red Len? Why couldn't she recall the ship's name? Or what it looked like? She remembered... Rhiannon! Rhiannon had been stuck, she had been too. She remembered that they'd been in some sort of hospital or something. It was like her memory of what had happened on Polius was fading. And quickly. This morning she knew every detail, now she didn't even remember what ship she'd been on. She suddenly remembered fire. The facility was burning. She'd have to check the news for Polius when she had the time. Maybe that would tell her something or help her to remember. It felt so vague and yet she remembered it was bad. Earlier she'd even felt remorseful, but now it was like it had happened so long ago.

 

Katerin found a store that looked affordable enough and headed inside. Fortunate enough for her, they had sweatshirts to her liking. She got three, one blue, one purple and one white. They had text across the chest that read "Leisurely", but she didn't really care about that. She made sure to buy herself a pair of trousers as well. She had a special love for leggings and thankfully there was a good price on them. With it being Katerin's preferred color, she purchased a glossy pair of eggplant purple leggings with a high waist and zipper and a comfortable pair of blue jeans. It was a good start. She had money in her bank account so it wasn't like she was completely broke. However, she wasn't going to buy anything else until she really had a sure thing with the job. She wasn't used to having a trial run for getting a job, but if they wanted to see how good she really was she'd prove them she was a fine mechanic. Katerin learned from the best to be the best. Well, that was what she said, but it might not have been true. But, she was still the best.

 

Katerin went home for a while and sat her new purchases on the bed while she slipped into her pair of purple leggings, enjoying how nice they looked. They complimented her long legs. She was fit, but she was moderately stocky, too. She went running when she could, but only ever on a treadmill or on the track since she had no outdoor place to run on Polius. While most parents told their children to go outside more often, her's told her to absolutely never leave the indoors without permission or supervision. When Katerin left the spare room her brother had she saw him sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands. She sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Marcus?" She said, looking to see if he was all right.

"Hey, baby sis." He said plainly, for old time's sake. "Did you find the docks okay?"

"Uh, kinda." She said, a sour, awkward face. "I even got a job." She said with a weak smile.

"Oh, really? That's great! Pretty quick, too. I knew you were a good mechanic." He returned the smile and she was glad to see he wasn't feeling too awful. With Rhiannon and their parents gone while he as away, it must have been a lot to take in.

"Thanks, Marcus." She said, folding her hands in her lap. She looked at the time and realised she was going to be a bit late. Already it was almost eight and she didn't exactly know where Purgatory was. "Oh hey, listen. I gotta go. I'll be back later." She said, standing up.

"Okay, sis. Got a date already?" He joked.

"Please. He's someone I work with... as of today." She said, brow knit together and lips pressed tightly as she looked sideways at the floor. "Well, anyway. I don't think I should be out long." She said. How long would she be, really? She couldn't imagine sitting around talking to Jonah.

 

The moment Katerin neared Purgatory she could hear the bass thrumming, pulsing through the floor. It was much louder inside and Kat smiled. She liked music and dancing. It was a favorite past time of her's but she wasn't necessarily the best at it. She didn't let her poor dancing ability slow her down or dissuade her any. She liked to do and even if she never really did it in public she was okay with that. It was a good exercise for her and she enjoyed it. She made her way over to the bar and started looking for Jonah. She wasnt able to find him, especially with the people around her dancing and drinking. She had to admit it was tempting to let the music beat through her and let go, let her body move like water, but she wasn't as fluid as some of the other people here were, so she had to remain sitting and watching.

Kat asked a few people of the people who were standing by the walls or the bar talking idly if they had seen him, but she didn't really have any luck, as anticipated. There were three levels of the nightclub, the middle and the uppermost having bars. There were dark corners, tables, booths and a lot of drinking. The lights around the cieling, the floor and stairs, the bars. It had a very modern, chic style and she liked it. She couldn't find Jonah anywhere, so she assumed she'd been stiffed. She frowned and shook her head. She shouldn't have expected anything more. Maybe she should just chatter. At least it'd give her something to do.

 

A half hour later Katerin sat down on the second level's bar and sighed. Ryezia T'yan, an asari with whom she had been speaking with, sat down beside her. Ryezia had been nursing her drink at the bar, sober and planning to stay that way as best as she could. At least, she didn't plan on getting drunk. But her other conversation was carried out on the corner of the dance floor. She didn't dance very well, but it was entertaining to try and forget her woes by bouncing around or watching people while she talked. 

 

Chastity Roger was the human woman she was conversing with as she gave her all the latest gossip amongst the citadel and who was who and (much to Kat's dismay) who was 'easy'. Apparently, asari around two hundred years were a bit more willing to sleep with a human and those under it didn't always have as much experience dealing with humans. How she knew this she didn't want to know. However, their anatomy was very similar to humans while turians were something else entirely. 

Kat began blushing anytime she looked at one of them, as well as any asari, and was afraid to be around any turian again. She had never wanted to think about the anatomy of any species besides her own, and even that she felt a bit awkward thinking about. She wasn't shy and she wasn't a prude, but with her mother a scientist, father a doctor and her brother a nurse she learned these things from medical professionals with a limited or non-existent sense of humor. They didn't talk about sex or relationships.

Kissing was strictly prohibited outside of the personal quarters. Outdoors was acceptable so long as it was clean and tidy. A full-blown, breathtaking, messy kiss was kept for the bedroom. a peck on the cheek was acceptable- if it was outside- and from mother or father to child, or from sibling to sibling, was perfectly fine. After all, familial kissing and embracing was a different type of affection, but still one that was rarely practiced. Katerin and her family had lived facility housing until she was about twelve when they moved because of a breakthrough in their studies. Lastly, the only other person she had been talking with was, oddly enough, a batarian. He was the bartender and was busy, but still found time to talk with her. The first time she had seen him she jumped and squeaked a little bit.

 

Katerin was moping, down on spirits and feeling the crash from her excitement of the Citadel. Ryezia came and sat down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder and leaned around to look at Kat's dull, somber eyes.

"What's wrong, Katerin?" She asked, genuinely concerned. Perhaps she'd gotten drunk now because if Kat stood around her for much longer she was gong to get a contact buzz from the amount of alcohol on her breath.

"Ah, nothing. I'm just thinking about Polius." She said.

"Polius? That's where you're from?" She said, raising a brow. Ryezia wasn't attractive, but she wasn't terribly ugly. She had white speckles on the sides of her face and on her head extensions, but Katerin wouldn't say she was a lovely girl. Her lips were light purple and she wore glittery eyeshadow with small rhinestones on her browbone and a skimpy outift of vinyl. "Oh, wow. That's pretty bad. I'm sorry." Kat frowned. "Cheer up! Do you want a beer?"

"Nah. I think I'm going to go to the bathroom for a moment." She shrugged, standing up and shuffling up the stairs in search of the restrooms.

"There you are!" She heard someone call her. She looked over to see Jonah and the turian from before at C-Sec at one of the tables at the very back in a shadowed, poorly lit corner where no one else was with his legs propped up on the table, one foot on top the other with his heel between his toes. He had a galss of a vibrant blue drink in his cup and a serious and overworked feel about him. He appeared to be looking for someone or waiting for them, but it wasn't Kat. Jonah was sitting cross-legged on the booth with his arms folded in his lap.

"Where the hell were you?" She snapped, standing in front of his table.

"Waiting for you." HE said. "I thought you hadn't come, but I found Suvinus so I sat down with him." Jonah said patiently.

She glanced over at the turian as he took notice of her. "Ah, the colonist. I trust you found assistance?" He said, his words slithering like a snake.

"Yeah, my brother worked there, apparently." She said. "I'm Katerin, but just call me Kat." She said.

"Suvinus Licuss." He said. Jonah slid over to give room for Kat to sit down, but she gave him an impertinent look and furrowed her brow.

"Look, I didn't even know you were here." He said. "Honest mistake."

"The only time you are honest." Suvinus remarked.

"Fuck you." He teased. "So how do you know Suvinus?" He asked, patting the seat so she'd sit down.

"I met him at C-Sec this morning when I got here." She said briefly.

"What were you doing there? I thought you were military." Jonah said.

"I am. But my partner had a lead." Suvinus said.

"A lead? Who're you looking for?" Kat inquired. With her curious nature, she usually asked questions before she thought about whether they were really in her affair or not.

"I'm not really supposed to talk about it." He said.

"What he means is, he can't remember who it is." Jonah said.

"Piss off, Jonah. I know." He frowned, his mandibles flickering. From what she had seen before in movies and the limited amount of time she had spent around turians she knew it was a sign of impatience or aggravation. HE seemed a bit jittery, like he was expected something and possibly not one he was exactly looking forward to with excitement. Rather he looked more like he was stressed and tensed.

"Hey, Suvinus?" Kat said softly and quietly.

"Hmm?" He hummed without giving her a turn of his head.

"What are you?" She asked stupidly. This time he did look over at her, probably trying to see if she was being serious or not.

"A turian?" He said after a moment. 

"No, no. I know that." She flicked her wrist at him. "But what are you in the military?"

"High-Commander Suvinus Licuss." She smiled. There were so many 'S's in his name and she loved the way he made them sound. "Proudly serving the turian army." He added sarcastically.

She repeated the title and wiggled her nose briefly. "That's kind of fun to say."

"Don't wear it out; I hear it enough from my men. Just call me Suvinus. It'll be a nice change." He looked away and his mandibles flickered again. Kat watched with her eyes narrowed. She had only seen him do it when he was nervous or upset, so what was it? He'd pause between them for a brief second and then they would flutter again. He'd look somewhere else in the crowd, pause, flutter. He seemed uncomfortable where he hadn't before. Kat switched her focus from him to the people around them. No one really stood out to her. There were a few people standing with their backs to the wall, one of whom was the bouncer.

"Suvinus, are you okay?" She asked. "You don't look so good." She frowned and tried to study his features, something she wasn't finding very easy.

"Does he ever?" Jonah commented to himself.

He gave a blank look and then glanced away again. "How many people are in this club?"

Kat pursed her lips and scoffed. "I don't know. Thirty?"

"Fifty seven including us." He said. "There were fifty six when we got here, and no one has come through that door."

"So then who's the extra person?" Kat asked. And where did they come from if not through the door?

"Who is the extra person." He said, shaking his head. By now Kat was more confused than she had been. Was he off in the head? Was he playing with her? Suvinus noticed this and added "Across from us, down the stairs, by the entrance." He said. Kat looked closer and she could see who he was talking about. There was a tall, slendor turian wearing armor like Suvinus', though their helmet was on and she couldn't see the face. "We're both looking for number fifty seven."

"Who is that?" Kat asked, watching them as they stood there. She didn't know what they really had to do with anything, but she was glad he was trusting her enough to tell her what was going on. It had to be something important or he wouldn't have pointed it out. At least, Kat wanted to think it was. She was suspicious and on edge, possibly her nerves still shaken from what had happened to her. Unfortunately, she was still having trouble remembering what exactly had gone on besides fire.

 

"Kerras Ladaran." He replied, still staring in the turian's direction. "Captain now. Ladaran is over me, but not for long." He seemed sour about that.

"And you aren't pleased about it." Katerin observed. Well, rather she stated an obvious fact. He looked as though he was holding in a thousand snarky comments that he'd been bottling for years.

"We share a background." He said. Suvinus seemed to think over the past and he tensed. It didn't appear to be a good memory but one he was visiting nonetheless. She wondered how different the turian army was from Alliance army. Is this were the soldiers all went in their spare time? Maybe they were on shore leave together. Ladaran finally nodded Suvinus' way before heading over.

"Spirits! Don't do this Ladaran." Suvinus uttered under his breath, his rumbly voice being the only thing that really made it audible. Ladaran was strutting importantly and swiftly closer before walking past, fingers dragging along the edge of the table, stopping where the bar was behind them with a hip cocked. Suvinus rose and rested his weight on the bar top beside his superior.

"Low-Captain." He acknowledged with little more than a wave of his hand.

"High-Commander." The voice was masked by the helmet and Ladaran didn't seem very keen on removing it.

"Is there something I can do for you?" He hissed, not an ounce of pleasure in his voice.

"I certainly hope so, Suvinus." Ladaran purred, the leg that had been rested now touched against his, their spurs almost hooking before sliding off painfully slowly.

Once again, Suvinus seemed to stiffen. "Captain..."

"Call me Kerras." Their spurs were still engaged. Kat wasn't certain what it meant if she had any clue at all.

"Ah, Kerras. I'm not sure what to say." Suvinus seemed to have lost his cool, controlled personality and was now quite embarrassed.

"Well, you could start by telling me who these two are. And..." In a quick flash of a movement, the touching knee was bent to catch their spurs and tugged, pulling him off balance so he was pulled toward Ladaran. The Captain then turned to face Suvinus who looked a bit uncomfortable with being so close. "...Then you can give me an update- Mmm, privately."

Suvinus looked disgusted, mandibles discreetly waving once or twice. "They are Katerin and Jonah."

"Mmhmm." Ladaran nodded.

He swallowed and sighed. "And I didn't learn anything. Ackrin was poisoned and I wasn't able to get anything out of him." Suvinus said. Ladaran moved away, their spurs made a sharp sound as they ripped away to which Suvinus winced, gritting his teeth. Kat wondered if the forceful departure of legs was done purposely to hurt him.

 

The turian's hands grasped the helmet and the front moved around to the back where it was taken off of the fringe, though Ladaran's wasn't very long. "What?" Ladaran cried in a harsh whisper, voice like ice. "I told you to get it done, no matter the cost."

"I can't help it if he was poisoned." Suvinus said.

"You can help getting there first! As Captain, when I give you a job to do, you do it."

"Now you're pulling rank on me? That position was mine and you know it!" Suvinus slammed his fist onto the bartop.

"It's not my fault you failed."

"But it is your fault you ratted me out for something I did years ago. What I did was necessary, it had to be done."

Ladaran's eyes rolled with exasperation. "Please."

"I saved your ass." He put plainly.

"Get in line, High-Commander."

For a moment, Katerin thought Suvinus had given up the heated argument when he relaxed and said calmly, "How are the scars, Kerras?" The second to last word was meant as an insult but using the given name was a slap to the face.

"You bastard...!" The turian made a gesture by his side, thumb to both fingers and forcefully flicked them off with the harsh words. Ladaran looked as though it was a goal to remove each scale and plating on his body slowly to torture him as much as possible. But, instead of doing anything physical, the Captain left, hands in a ball.

 

Suvinus' scales contorted in what she knew was a smile and he sat down hastily with hard-earned victory. He seemed triumphant and most proud of himself for winning an argument with Ladaran. He tracked Ladaran's stormy leave as people stepped out of the designated path for the defeated. Perhaps Suvinus was used to losing, or perhaps it was Ladaran who was, but he was in a much better mood than he had been when he first spotted his superior. She had to wonder why the hatred was so thick. It only seemed to be on his side, outputting and not receiving. Kat wasn't nearly as chipper as he now was. She scowled at him and clucked her tongue.

 

"Yes?" Suvinus purred.

"That was rude." She scolded.

"If you knew Ladaran you wouldn't say that." He disagreed. 

"I still think it was rude." She said, folding her arms. Kat huffed and turned her head, not bothering to look at him, though she knew it didn't bother him any. He seemed indifferent to most things, most of all Kat's easy-to-offend, absent-minded personality. She had always known it was there, but just now as she was glaring at him did she take the time to admire the white paint on his scales, suddenly forgetting that she was upset at him. They followed the extensions on his cheeks while one went up his nose and followed the middle piece of his fringe that it connected to.

 

The one on the left was disrupted by a scar that curved under his eye on his cheek that stopped on the other side of his nose. There was another about three inches above the second, parallel to it on his forehead. Almost amidst his fringe was another, slightly smaller one. She wondered what had happened? They looked like claws but what had paws that big? Nothing from Earth except maybe a bear, but why would an alien come in contact with a bear? Most humans never even saw a bear in person. Kat hadn't.

 

It was his levelheadedness that reminded her of one of the scientist she had known and it made her feel homesick. Only, she couldn't afford to feel homesick. It was a mature thing to do to leave home when one was ready, but when one didn't have the chance to ever see home or go home again, it was different. Maybe there was someplace on the planet she could go again, but she wondered if it would ever feel the same again. She wouldn't be able to live in the same area. She'd be in some completely different place whether it was on the same planet or not. It would never feel right again. It would be full of sorrow and despair and she would be reminded daily of the death of her family and friends. Katerin's way of dealing with things was, much like a child's, to pretend and make it up in her mind that everything was well and try to to forget the traumatic incident. However, she seemed to be forgetting things a little too well and it was beginning to worry her. Maybe in the event she had hit her head and was loosing her memory. She felt like she was loosing her mind.

 

"Katerin, look." Jonah said. Between the two of them he held a tablet and motioned for them to watch the video. There was a picture playing of a woman with short brown hair and a blue suit and jacket reporting "The Tragedy on Polius" inside the news station.

 

"... damages on Polius hit home for many. As we look at the faces stricken with madness, hatred and fear we mourn for the losses due to the chemical known only as Podratin. Very little is known of Podratin, but we have seen the effects it has on the people who breathe in this toxin. On the cold, desolate planet of Polius, we see thousands of people screaming, hiding and contributing to the raging carnage here. There was no distress signal sent when the bombs were placed and found and investigations at the Polius Research Facility reveal that the alarm system was not activated. When asked, the Systems Alliance military comments that they were alerted of the attack while one of their vessels had landed on Poilus' surface to refuel. Federal Affairs was anonymously tipped off about the attack while it was happening. They were unable to ge to Polius in time due to a lack of posts in that area and warned the Alliance crew serving on that vessel. We have been told that few survivors made it off of Polius before the chemical spread." The report carried on to speak of how they were effected. Hallucinations, weight loss, memory loss, insanity, horrific things she didn't want to think about. It also mentioned that all of the planets or colonies lost to Podratin were near or around facilities funded by an organization called 767-DEL. The organization was going to shut down by Central Intelligence and the help of the military, neither of whom would comment.

 

"You're lucky, Kitten." Jonah said, turning of the tablet. "You made it out just in time."

"I left at the last moment. I was in the facility when it happened." She said, remembering only vague portions of it.

 

Kat was bored now, the life of the club still raging on around her seemed less and less exciting. Now it just felt like a stab in the gut. How could she be having fun when her family and the families of everyone else there lay still and charred? They deserved proper burials, with a ceremony to remember them. Unfortunately, they couldn't ever have that. It wasn't possible they could be put to rest. There weren't any bodies left to bury and those that were still alive were beyond saving. They were cremated and gone, dust now. Or insane. She tried to think of the more positive things. Like Marcus. IT was good he was okay. He was a friend and the best she could ask for. She had a job.

 

 

 

 

 

Kat looked around and noticed that four people had walked in. They were wearing armor, possibly mercenaries. But there was something off about them that made Kat pause. They had stopped to speak with the bouncer who shrugged and pointed in the direction of the bar. Still racking her mind to figure out who they were and why they were so familiar, she watched them walk to the bar. The tallest one, a male with stoic features, stopped at called the batarian bartender over. He spoke to him, but they were too far away for her to hear, especially over the music. As the first two talked, the bartender nodded. Katerin wasn't nervous at first, merely bored and found them mildly interesting, if a distracting, but when she saw the batarian point in her direction she felt her stomach turn. Maybe they were after Jonah or Suvinus. It wasn't like she had done anything.

 

They were led by a greying brunette wearing her hair in a braid, freckles across her face, glasses in front of her hazel eyes. Behind her was a tall, black haired woman with pursed lips and a silver haired man with pinched features and a menacing glare. She was shocked when she saw the second man. It was... Daniel. The mechanic who had employed her only moments ago! When the black haired woman rested her leg and cross her arms she could see she had a gun on her belt, hidden under the midnight blue scarf she wore. The brunette had a knife in her pants pocket. She noticed now that everyone, with the exception of the brunette, wore a jacket or something tied around their waist. They all had guns, then... or knives of some kind.

 

"Ah, bitch snacks..." Jonah breathed with discontent and a sinking, displeased manner. He closed his eyes and rested his head in his hand for a moment before looking up.

"Daniel?" Katerin questioned.

The brunnette stopped and smiled. "Yes, He told me you two would be here. Hello, Katerin. Diena." She said, acknowledging her and Jonah in turn. She had a crisp, authorative voice, but one that was level and rich.

"I'm Jonah Gales." He snapped.

"I played your game long enough, Diena. We know who you are." Daniel said impatiently.

"What do you want?" He asked, nodding at her with disregard.

"Oh, I think you know.. We've tracked you again." She said. "But we've caught you this time, Diena."

"Have you? I don't think so, bitch!" He said, placing his hands on the back of the booth and kicking the table into her legs as he pushed off. He tucked his legs to his chest as he flipped over the back of the seat and landed on the first level with a thud and groan. "Run now, Kat!" He shouted, pushing through the crowd of people until he made it to the door. When the bouncer tried to stop him and started to say something, Jonah pulled his arm back and shouted as a ball of blue energy hurtled into the bouncer and blasted him back and out of Jonah's way. Suvinus had already pulled out a gun and Kat was clambering out of the booth as the brunette stumbled. The dark haired woman pulled the gun out of the waistline of trousers and fired at Kat. She felt a burning sensation in her bicep, just below the curve of her upper arm. She gripped the wound as the blood trickled around her fingers.

 

She kept running, tripping over chairs. She tried to kick the chair away, but it was tangled around her ankles. She felt one of the men grab her legs and pull her back, but she heard another shot. This time, the body fell forward just beside her and she screamed, startled enough that she ripped her legs free. She pushed the chair back and stood up. Suvinus had his gun out and had shot her attacker. He fired again at the blonde man which left only the dark haired woman. Suvinus shot the gun she held, cutting the skin on her hand in the process. She looked between the two as he kept his gun pointed at her, but before he shot she managed to throw a knife at Kat after she stood up. It found it's mark in her thigh, chrimson warmth seeping through her pants and pouring down her leg.

 

"Katerin, leave the knife in until we can get help." Suvinus said as he hurried over to her. The people in the club were screaming and panicking, but most seemed to be leaving them alone. After all, the turian had a gun. Some of them were calling police, but she wanted to be gone before anyone showed up.

"Stop! Surrender now, turian!" The brunette was standing behind them, a gun pointed at his head.

"What do you want?" He asked, turning around and looking at her.

"I'm here for my property. Jonah and Katerin are mine." She said.

"What do you mean?" Kat asked, taken aback as she ground her teeth together, pain sweeping through her body.

"You're forgetting a lot aren't you, Katerin? My, that chemical must've worked well on you." She sung.

"What are you talking about?" She said nervously. So she was forgetting things!

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, Katerin. I can tell you you're special. And you're the property of 767-DEL. If you don't comply there will be consequences. Those who betray us have fatal 'accidents.' Just ask your mother." She said mockingly.

"Katerin, run!" Suvinus said, ducking behind one of the fallen tables as she fired at his sudden movement. Katerin didn't stop to protest. She didn't have a weapon and he did. What did she mean by "ask your mother?" Her mother worked for DEL, but did DEL destroy the facility? She was confused and shackled with pain, but she couldn't stop. She needed to get away. She could only pray Suvinus made it out alright. She would hate t know she lived when someone else took the heat for her.

 

This day was too eventful. First she was hired by the man who later sold her out. What she had done she didn't even know. Jonah seemed like he knew who they were, or at least recognized them, but how? She also called him Diena and not Jonah. Perhaps she misunderstood. She didn't want to think he'd lied about who he was. She knew she couldn't trust him! She didn't like him from the start and now she had gotten hurt because of him. She'd not done anything! They couldn't be after her and he knew them!

 

Kat couldn't keep running. The hurt from engaging the muscle torn by the knife was too much for her to take. She stopped, slumping down against the railing around a pond in the center of a park. She started to pull the knife out of her leg, but the searing pain made her balk as more blood poured out from around it. She started to feel queasy and anxious. She squeezed her fists like she was crushing away the pain as she reached to pull her phone out of her pants before she realised she didn't have any pockets on her leggings.

"Shit!" She spat, cursing her choice of attire.

"Ah, Goddammit! Kat!" She heard Jonah swear from where he was just twenty some feet away. There were two men near him, one of whom was standing as the other was laying up against the outside of wall of Purgatory. The conscious man lunged toward him, but Jonah brought his fist back, surging with blue biotic ability, and met him full force. The blast knocked him back into the wall behind him with a trail of black smoke following the ball of energy pillowed at his stomach. He hit his head and groaned, but otherwise fell silent on the ground. There was blood trickling from the back of his head and out of his mouth.

"Jonah?" She said, looking hopefully at him, counting that he would have more knowledge of how they had gotten into this overwhelming, dangerous mix up.

"Just relax, Kat." He said. The world around her seemed fuzzy. The blackness around her seemed to zero in, her eyelids fluttering. "Wake up, pussy cat. I'm not letting you pass out on me!" He said, batting his hand against her cheek. She might've been offended, but when she started and woke she knew he was only trying to help her.

 

"Katerin!" Suvinus said as he jogged over to her. He had a cut on the side of his face that was dripping slowly onto his shoulder, but he didn't seem to notice. Luckily, Suvinus called for help while Katerin tried to stop the bleeding. "Okay, Katerin. I called a cab. We'll get you the hospital soon enough. Just think about something else." He said and turned to Jonah. They exchanged a look that seemed to carry out it's own conversation.

"Just go. I'll want to stay behind and finish these bastards." He growled snarled, grinning as he patted Suvinus on the shoulder.

"Okay." She said. She tried to think about the times when she was younger. When she used to finger paint, she'd smear the colors across the paper and think it looked like one thing and get frustrated when no one else saw it. One of the most memorable was when she tried to draw an apple tree and- No, the color red wasn't helping her think of it any less. Cooking? No, she didn't like cooking. She cut herself too often. Writing? Reading? She got paper cuts too easily, so she didn't read actual books on paper. She gave up. If Marcus were here he'd have an idea of how to distract himself. when he put his mind to something he didn't give up. Katerin had fallen while jumping off of her bed and scraped her knee when she was three years old and went running to Marcus who was at the time only five himself. She was crying hysterically because she was hurt (and being quite melodramatic) but nevertheless he didn't let her fret. HE put a band-aid on her knee and kissed it "so it wouldn't hurt." He then spent the next hour or so reading her some of her favorite stories so she would forget all about it. It was something that stuck with her through the years.

 

It wasn't until the cab arrived that she realised thinking about her family had distracted her enough she forgot about even trying to distract herself. She smiled at the irony for a moment, but when she moved again to try and stand up her knees buckled. gritting her teeth she stood up and let Suvinus help her into the cab. She whimpered when she moved, prompting Suvinus to scold her and fuss.  
"You need to sit still; that knife is barbed." He said, shooting a scornful sideways glance at her as she grasped at her leg above the wound. She tried to leave it alone, but Katerin was best at meddling. She didn't want to leave it be if it hurt. The fiery sting from the bullet was pulsing and the knife in her leg was warm and wet from the blood of her wound. She felt woozy all of a sudden, like she'd hit a brick wall. She felt lightheaded like all she needed to do was sleep as he eyes closed and everything went black.

 

 

 

When Katerin woke up again, she was laying on a hospital bed, bandages wrapped around her upper arm and around her thigh. She felt groggy and sore, but otherwise she was reasonably comfortable. She looked to her left and saw a window wall that exposed the citadel from a high height. It overlooked the ward, but showed the other arms of the citadel in the distance. She didn't feel at home in the citadel. Too crowded, too busy, too bloody. The first day she'd been there she'd been hired and she knew that wasn't right. It was too... sudden. And Daniel had seemed overly eager to hire her. HE didn't know anything about her, but maybe if you only planned to kill someone later you didn't need to know much about them. But why would anyone send assassins after her? Though, if they were assassins they certainly weren't good ones. Assassins were supposed to be subtle and discreet. Killing two, or three if need be, in a popular nightclub didn't make for discretion. Maybe they didn't care. Maybe they were just mercenaries.

 

Thinking about the attack was just making her head hurt, so she stopped. The rest of the room just had metal walls and cabinets around the room. About the only thing out in the open was her bed and two chairs across from the foot of it. She felt tired, but not in a way she wanted to sleep any longer. She just wanted to simply relax. She felt exhausted like she'd been running for an hour without water. She wanted solace, but she was alone. The only thing the citadel could offer her in the way of diminishing homesickness was that it too was stark white and clean. Polius' colony was all metal and steel, but outside was just as white as a lamb. The glow of the citadel reminded her of a sheet of snow and she found familiarity in that, but it wasn't enough. This was the time when she felt like she needed to be strong and brave. Kat wasn't an emotional wreck, but she felt. And right now she was feeling quite poorly. She was disrupted from her thoughts when the door opened. Marcus stepped inside and pulled a chair over beside her bed.

 

"Hey, lil' sis. When did you wake up?" He asked, a kind and loving shine in his eyes.

"Just now." She said. "What happened?" She asked, having no recollection of what had happened.

"Some people randomly attacked you and two other's while you were at Purgatory, a nightclub."

"Why?" She asked, shifting stiffly.

"That's the big question. Do you remember anything?" He inquired, likely curious as to why his friend was  
She thought a moment. "I remember... Jonah? And his friend, um, a turian." She said. she was at first, terrifyingly, visited by the image of an elcor, but it would likey have been the elcor with wounds not her if she'd been that close to one. Well, maybe not. She'd screamed like a child whenever she saw one so she wasn't exactly imposing. She was immobilized, rather. "I- yeah. I kind of remember being stabbed. I was shot, too, right?" She shook her head and frowned. She felt like she had a really bad hangover.

"You were stabbed in the leg with a barbed knife and shot in the arm." Marcus said, grabbing her hand sympathetically.

"When did they take the knife out?" She asked. The bullet might not removed, but it may have been. Removing a bullet could do more damage than leaving it in, but she knew nothing about bullet wounds so she didn't' know. She'd assume it had been taken out, or rather she was hoping it had. She didn't really want to have a piece of lead in her arm.

"Last night. They didn't think you'd wake up for a while. You were put under o course, but you must've passed out on the way to the hospital."

"I can hardly remember why I'm on the citadel. I know that Polius was effected by Podratin. I can't remember how I got here. I think I'm losing my memory. I-I don't know why." She said, wondering if perhaps she had just hit her head.

"The doctors said the knife they took out of your leg had barbs in it with small amounts of Podratin on the tips. Just enough to cause memory loss. They were able to flush it out of your system, but your memory will be splotchy for a few days." He said. "I'll try to help you remember things, but I don't know much about what happened on Polius. just what the news said."

"I watched the vids." She said. "I don't think I want to remember much anyway."

"I can't blame you. I wouldn't want to either." He said, touching her shoulder before ruffling her hair. "You've had a hard time so far. I'm sure it'll be better. When you get home, why don't you just take a week off? Once you get settled in you can worry about getting another job."

"They told oyu about Daniel?" She asked.

"Yeah. They said he's been trafficking drugs for a while. Two brothers who used to work for him went to the authorities and turned them in. Said he'd take in his clients cars or ships so he pack boxes of drugs on there and they'd pay him for the dope." Marcus sighed. "I'm just glad you didn't get mixed up in it."

"Me too. I just wish I didn't have to get shot and stabbed for it." She said, making light of her misfortune and laughing lightly.

"Those other people must have just been some hired hands." HE said. She agreed, but why would they confront her in a crowded nightclub? Why not wait until she was alone? "Well, I'll let you get some rest. You should be able to come home soon, but I think they want to do another scan for Podratin."

"Okay. See you soon, Marcus." She said, frowning. She didn't want to be alone in a hospital when she knew she was going to forget everything that went on. Would she remember the night at Purgatory? She'd have to keep record of it so if she did forget she could recognize what had gone on the night before. She'd make a log of it later. She felt stiff and sore right now. She was content to just look outside of her window and watch the birds and the clouds, the ships coming in. She wondered if anyone else besides her and Jonah had been attacked by Daniel and his men. She still couldn't place why they had done something so quickly. She wondered if the reason they hired her and then turned around and tried to kill her was that it was their plan. If maybe all they wanted to was to kill her and Jonah. Maybe that was why they were paired together.

 

She stood up with a groan. She was torn between gripping her arm or her thigh. She couldn't say one hurt more than the other. She recovered herself and straightened up. She pushed the panel beside the door and it slid open. she stepped outside and saw the hall in front of her led to "patient lounge" so she headed forward. She, like most of the patients there, wore a heather grey shirt with sleeves that came to her elbows and dark grey pants with a slinky feel. There were a few people walking around or looking out at the citadel from the wide, tall windows, but most of them were sitting in chairs or on cushioned benches, talking with their families or bouncing their children on their laps. One of them was arguing with a nurse about whether he could or could not smoke in the lounge.

 

For some reason, a smile appeared on her face when she saw who it was. She bounced over, with a bit of an awkward gait. Her usual happiness and bubbly personality was overcoming the shadow of grogginess and confusion. Kat could find something good in any situation, even one where she'd been wounded and sent to the hospital.

 

"Jonah!" She chirped, grabbing the attention of the blonde haired man with a cigarette behind his ear and a match in his hand. "What are you doing here?" He rolled his eyes and gave up on smoking and muttered something about the staff. She was able to see now he wasn't sitting down like she originally thought. He was in a wheelchair. She hadn't seen it before, but wen she got closer she saw he was missing his right leg.

"Same thing I imagine you are." He smirked. "You know I thought about running out on ya, pussy cat." He said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I kinda wish I had. Unless the boyish hero gets a kiss from the pretty girl?"

She shook her head. "Not when the pretty girl gets injured. Looks like you got what was coming to you, anyway." She said, gesturing to his being in a wheelchair. He had a cut that went just over his left eyebrow about an inch long at the front. His lip was also busted, so his pretty lips would forever have a nice split scar on the top. 

"Yeah. I got my ass handed to me." He shrugged.

"How did that happen?" She asked, brow furrowed.

"When I saw you hadn't gotten out yet, I hesitated. It was my own damn fault. I should have just gone and not worried about you. Suvinus could've gotten it if he cared." He said dismissively. "Since you're alive..." He shrugged.

"You're oddly comfortable with all this." She frowned.

"Should I not be? I've been dodging these bastards for years. They won't let me rest." Jonah shook his head dismissively, fiddling with his jacket strings.

"You know them?"

"Obviously."

"Then what do they want?" She asked.

"My blood and yours. If they want anything else, stop and ask 'em the next time they come after you. And they will come after you." He said.

"I'm not looking forward to it." She said, a belly of fear pooling up.

"Just watch your back, Kat. I know I will." He smirked and winked and she felt revolted replace her trauma and anticipation.

 

Kat spent the rest of the day piddling around the patient lounge or talking to Jonah. She found she didn't mind him terribly, but he didn't talk much. He was reserved, like he didn't want company but hadn't outwardly said anything. But there was something about him that she just couldn't place. He seemed like he knew something that he wouldn't tell her even if she asked. He seemed secretive and brooding. He never engaged in conversation with anyone else. He never went to Kat, but he did speak to her without complaint. About the only thing he did with someone besides her was hit on the nurses and doctors that went around. It didn't seem like minded gender or race, but he did seem to prefer males and turians at that. He also had a habit of sneaking a cigarette whenever the staff looked away.

 

Kat was finally called upon to be reexamined and told she was recovery quickly. Her memory would still be shoddy, but if she kept up on medicines that would help to speed up the healing process and antibiotics she'd be fine. She was told to leave the bandage on for the first twenty four hours, unless it was wet. she was to wash the bullet wound on her arm with soap and water. As for the bullet wound she was supposed to pack it with an ointment every day to help with the healing and keep away infection. She wasn't thrilled about the thought of packing the wound, but with as deep as it was she needed to keep it clean and healthy. She knew from having a father who was a doctor that medicine and salves could keep a wound as it should. Hopefully the ingredients would keep it from scarring, too. While she didn't find scars repulsive or thought that they diminished one's attractiveness she didn't want this one. If anyone ever asked, which was a plausible scenario, she didn't have any tale to tell for it. She didn't know why she'd been shot. Still, she could always attach some dastardly feat to it.

'I could say I was an outlaw, running from the authorities.' She thought to herself. 'No. I'm a good Samaritan, not a crook. Thieving? That's still bad. Maybe I got in a bar fight. Or defending someone? In a bar fight!' She smiled to herself. That would work. A little white lie would seem a little better than saying she got shot for no apparent reason by people who were very mistaken. She had no reason to be hit. She couldn't remember the night in perfect detail, only portions of it like when she'd been shot and stabbed, when Jonah had pushed the table into the strange woman and when Suvinus had shot the man who'd grabbed her legs and he'd fallen beside her. The more traumatic it was the easier it was for her to remember. She remembered the elcor.

 

 

 

Kat sat down on the bed in the spare bedroom that had been made her's. Marcus had offered to stay home with her for the day, but she declined. She wanted more to be alone, strangely. It probably would have been more like a normal reaction to want to have company, someone to be around her and make her feel safe, especially if that person was familial. Katerin just wanted to be alone to have some time to think, though. She made a note in her omni-tool about what she could conjure up from the preserved, whole memories. What was fuzzy and vague that she wasn't sure of she mentioned, but noted that it was only partial. If her memory got worse she didn't want to later confuse herself. She felt frustrated and helpless, impatient and pent up. She'd have to settle with watching action vids.

 

Marcus had brought the projector box into her room and attached into the wall above her bed. It connected the signal to the box on the wall across from it. There were five pieces, one in the middle at the top and four corners. When it was turned on, a line raced from the middle through all the corners and stopped again at the small pill-shaped box at the top. A glassy, blue screen flashed on and a simulated woman's voice spoke to her.  
"What would you like to watch, Marcus?" The computer asked.

"No, I'm Katerin." She mumbled, scrunching down into her blanket until she has in the felt position and the cover was over her nose.

The computer waited a moment and a spinning dial appeared on the screen Kat was ignoring. "Okay, Katerin. What are you in the mood for?" She asked again.

"Divv'a Mortez?" She thought aloud.

"I'm sorry. I don't have Divv'a Mortez. A similar title is Tyssia Villen."

"Tyssia Villen." Kat giggled with a little snort. It always made her laugh to hear her name. What kind of surname was 'Villain' when she was the protagonist on the good guy side?

The computer took her comment as a 'yes' and continued. "I have Tyssia Villen; Tyssia Villen: Blood Ghosts, Tyssia Villen the TV series' seasons one through four; Tyssia Villen III: The Return of Ashley Goodeville."

"Oh. I haven't seen the series." She said to herself. "Let's start with the series."

"Okay, Katerin." The voice said. The screen faded away to blackness before flashing the image of the title screen for Tyssia Villen. It gave the introduction of who she was and what she did. Katerin already knew, but she was barely paying attention anyway.

 

The Tyssia Villen fad was at least fifty years ago, before the first contact war. It was from the thirties and had been something her father had enjoyed. The series had been during his time, when he was about ten, but the original movies were before he was born. As for Kat, she'd grown up on the remakes. Katerin liked old films. There was some magic in it, like she was seeing history played out before her even if it was ridiculous nonsense like this. She remember once she'd found a recording of an old movie that was slightly over one hundred years. She'd laughed at it at first when she saw what they imagined was futuristic. It had been a movie called 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' and she'd at first taken it to be a comedy before she researched it. It turned out it was what people a hundred years ago had thought 'spacemen' were like. She didn't really have her own copy. It was rare to come across a recording of movies older than about seventy years. There was a different format that they ran off of so the systems they had now. It was a pity because Katerin liked movies from before even the First Contact War.

 

Katerin had forgotten all about her wounds and the night before. She watched the vids for a while before she forgot about them, too. She was distracted, daydreaming and thinking about things like the pair of leggings she wanted, what purse would look good with it and then that she didn't like purses, anyway. She thought about visiting the mountains on Eden Prime and about the cities on Earth. Then she thought about Jonah a little bit but she shook the thought away when she started to think she could smell the smoke in his clothes and the whiskey on his breath.

"Katerin, are you still there?" The computer asked, the image on the screen pausing. She barely noticed it, her lids half closed in boredom.

She sighed. "What time is it, computer?" She asked.

"3:19." she answered. She then added after a brief moment "I have a name."

"Really?" Kat said curiously. "Marcus told me he thought it was silly to name VI's." She smiled.

"He did." She confirmed. "I am Keire."

"Keire." She said quietly. Her brother had named her after the girl he'd left behind on Polius. She'd come from an abusive home and she and Marcus had been going steady for three or four years before he left. She'd committed suicide shortly after Marcus moved to the Citadel when he father had beaten her to the point hospitalization. Marcus had felt guilty though he couldn't have done anything about it. No one really knew why she killed herself. Some even suspected foul play. She was so meek and quiet, though. She didn't know many people so Kat was never one to point to murder first.  
"Should I resume the vid?" Keire asked.

She groaned. "Yeah." The video resumed and Kat rolled onto her back, her arm draped over her stomach. She was tired of laying in bed, but she wasn't particularly hungry and she had no where to go. She'd had plenty to drink as the doctor had ordered her to stay on top of hydration. It wasn't until she thought about that realised she had a mad urge to relieve her bladder and made an urgent dash to the bathroom where she dropped her pink, floral pajama shorts whilst running, tripping over them as they caught on her ankles.

"Katerin I will remind you that you are injured. Marcus has programmed me to make sure you do not hurt yourself while he is away." Keire said.

"Hmmph. How did you know I was running?" She asked with a twinge of pain as she remembered her injuries. Or rather, he thigh wound was reminding her she'd be incapacitated if she hadn't had help. It started to throb and pulse.

"I have cameras stationed in the following rooms: Living room; kitchen; hallways. Marcus has activated them whilst he is away."

"What else has he "programmed" you with?" She asked.

"You will have to be more specific, Katerin. I am programmed with many things. Would you like me to give you a full list or enable Advanced Searching?" Sometimes Kat forgot the VI's in homes were still computers.

"What else does he have you doing for me?"

"I am to remind you when to treat your injuries. I will also alert him if you show signs of distress. Are you distressed?" Keire asked.

 

She stood up and washed her hands, looking at herself in the mirror with surprise. Her eyes were surrounded by slightly dark circles. She looked tired and stiff. Her hair was disheveled and fluffy instead of it's usual straightness. She peeled back her lower lids and made disappointed noises and faces at herself. She didn't feel so tried before, but now she felt drained of energy and drive. Her dark brown skin seemed sallow and clammy. Her hazel eyes looked brown and sick. She was reminded of her wounds and she frowned. It was disconcerting to think that just anyone could attack her. she wondered if maybe Jonah had done something she didn't know about. Maybe like making deals with Daniel and not paying up. Suddenly she didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Katerin?" Keire said, awaiting an answer as to whether to not she was currently in distress.

She thought about playing a trick on the house's VI system but then she figured it probably would be as riveting  
or worthwhile as she hoped. "No, Keire, I'm fine." She said.

"That is good. I had already dialed Marcus' number. Would you like me to cancel emergency sequence or proceed with call and link Marcus through the central sound system?" Keire said. 

"No." She said, shaking her head and returning to her bed. "Gosh, you're weird."

"I am programmed this way." She responded.

 

Kat crawled in bed and tucked herself under the comforter once again. The screen sensed her presence and resumed playing. Katerin had heard so many explosions, seen so many love scenes between dark haired vixens and strong lads she could foretell the happenings before they occurred. It wasn't long before Kat fell asleep, though.

She dreamt of the same dream. She saw herself in a black room with shining dagger through her body. This time, though the central points that were always on her body in these dreams were there, she had two glowing spots where her injuries where that slowly transitioned between yellow and red. She saw her mother to her right and she felt afraid and then glad. She looked to her left and saw her father. She looked in front of her and saw her brother. Behind her, her sister. When she faced forward again, she saw herself. She had her arms stretched out to greet her like she wanted her to come froward. When Kat took a step toward her mirror image, she fell through a giant hole. As she fell, she could see her family and herself standing at the top of the hole, staring down at her as she fell. The glowing points on their bodies had turned red like those where Kat's injuries were. Suddenly, two more bodies fell down with her. She saw Jonah and Suvinus, lifeless, and woke up screaming.

 

 

"Kat? Kat are you okay?" She heard someone's voice distantly, but the voice, concerned and worried, did not phase her nor did it register. She was still screaming and sobbing when she truly reacted to hearing her name. They didn't stop, though, and called again."Kat! Wake up, it's just a dream!"

"M-Marcus?" She cried, tears down her cheeks and a cold sweat layering on her skin and dripping down her temples.

"It's okay." He said, worry in his eyes.

"I-I saw Jonah and Suvinus and all of you. I fell in a giant hole and I-" She swallowed and shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. It didn't make any sense, anyway.

"This could be a reaction to the medicine prescribed to her, Marcus." Keire said.

"That or it's from watching the entire series of Tyssia Villen." He said once she seemed to have calmed down, no longer in a state of panic but in one of reality.

She laughed. "Or from talking to Keire while you were gone." She said. "Did she call you?"

He nodded. "She said you wouldn't wake up and were in distress."

"There was distress." Keire repeated as though she were confirming Katerin's previous level of urgency.

"You can say that again." She muttered. "Sorry you had to leave work." She said.

"I had actually got off work an hour ago." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What? What's the time?" She asked, surprised that it was so late already.

"It is 9:56." Keire answered.

"Oh." She said. she'd slept around three to four hours. She couldn't remember how long ago she'd fallen asleep. She almost wished she hadn't now. She was beginning to show signs of insomnia. Katerin only ever had terrible horrific dreams like the one she had just experienced or the one before it. She couldn't' understand them and the level of blindness she had when she slept, the lack of comprehension, frightened her. It would keep her up for hours, sometimes the whole night.

 

She felt guilty that her brother was made to worry over something as adolescent and childish as she felt. She would try to keep her problems to herself. She'd learn that lesson the hard way from her oppressive parents. Asking too many questions or being too dependent would get her yelled at or punished, her privileges removed or her freedom restricted. However, she knew she'd have to rely on others for a while. Her shoulder injury would limit her ability to successfully maneuver and get around. She'd have to get over her pride and stubbornness and rely on the help of others, be it the VI system Marcus had in his Citadel apartment or he himself.

 

Katerin had always wanted to be like the women in spy shows and movies. She wanted to be brave and show that she was independent. However, her being handicapped had severed that. That's why she hated it so much. Ah, well. She'd heal and get over herself. Or, she wouldn't and she'd shoo away any help she might need. No one would a help a blind girl who beat them with her walking stick.

 

Katerin didn't know what to think of this. Did she need to be worries about hallucinations and insomnia? She'd always... seen things. Heard things. She was still perfectly sane. She wasn't a psychopath or a sociopath people needed to be afraid of. She never told anyone because she didn't want to be called crazy. When she was younger and still lived with her family she used to think that she could see ghosts. But then she started to see them other places, think she was in other places, have strange cases of deja vu where she knew she'd been there before and yet never had. Seen a person, but didn't know them. She wasn't premonitious, though. She couldn't' predict anything, but it always seemed like she was hearing things, seeing people like those from her dreams. White people with no form or shape, features. Just... liquid forms of white like marble statues.

 

"Marcus?" She asked, looking up. He raised his brow in acknowledgement. "Have I ever... had an episode of forgetfulness?"

"Like now?" He asked.

"Amnesia." She confirmed, nodding.

HE laughed, touching her shoulder after standing up. HE kissed her head and said, "Don't worry so much, baby sis'. It'll make you feel worse. Just try not to worry about anything and go to sleep if you can. Doctor said sleep will keep you healthy and you'll get better faster."

"Okay. She said. She really didn't want to sleep, but if that would help her get well, damn right she'd sleep. She'd cut off her fingertips, shave her head and get a tattoo on her her bottom lip like a horse at the old tracks if that was what it would take. She curled up under the covers, knees to her chest and hands by her chest, blanket in her hold. She couldn't seem to keep her eyes closed even with the door shut and the lights closed. She just seemed incapable of resting. She admitted to herself she as almost afraid of sleeping. She didn't want to close her eyes and see the same things. Falling through that hole, the glowing people, herself. The horrific things she'd seen before were just blood curdling and turned ehr away from having a night of sound sleep in the future.

 

Finally, after an hour and a half of laying there, she tired of tossing and turning in her bed and lay on her back, blankets tossed about and pulled out of place. She stared up, looking in the far right corner of the ceiling to see a box, a speaker. There was a blue light that was steady and didn't blink.

 

"Keire?" She said.

The blue light flashed twice just before she responded. "Yes, Katerin?"

"I can't sleep." She felt strange talking to a computer.

"There are remedies for that. Would music or a warm beverage help?"

"Maybe. Like warm milk or tea?" She said. She got out of her bed and went into the kitchen. She put water on to boil, sitting on one of the bar stools at her brother's island top. "Keire, what do you do?"

"I-"

"Shhh! Not so loud!"

"I apologize." She said in a softer, quieter volume. "I am a VI programme installed in houses to monitor security, respond to the users' wishes and demands and regulate temperature, power and central system of the house. Does that answer your question?"

"And you can be programmed to do different things?"

"I can be told to watch only certain rooms. I can be told to display an image from the cameras, make phone calls, send messages in SMS format, used as a personal system from one of the computers in the house or accessed from data banks at a public location. I can be shut down, disabled and removed or rebooted. I can be costumized in my voice, name and use."

"Why did my brother install you?"

"The VI system in this house was already installed when Marcus purchased this apartment. He personalized my software to his needs and preference."

"What are some of the things you can do?" She said.

"I can change the color of the lights throughout the apartment down to a specific light, color and opacity. I can play music from any of the speakers, make standard and video calls among other thins. I can also tell you that the water on the stove has reached two hundred and twelve degrees Fahrenheit; a temperature suitable for steeping tea."

"Oh!" She said, realizing that the water was boiling and bubbling. "How did you know how hot it was?" She asked, wondering if perhaps the computer could sense how hot the stove was. She wondered how far Keire's system ran. What else could she monitor? What could her sensors read?

"I can read the temperature of things. It is a feature not common in Home VI programmes."

"So it's a bonus feature?" She said. "That would help with fires. You could tell how hot the the room was before combustion."

"Yes." She said, a bit surprised. "Katerin, you need to sleep." Keire reminded her. She didn't want to sleep. There was some feeling of regret or anxiety. She couldn't tell which, but it was like a pool of alchemy that someone kept close just to toss potions at her and she couldn't get away; a hat that some demon pulled out not a rabbit, but fear from the bowl of mixed emotions and stirred them up inside her. Kat didn't think she was a brave person. She knew she wasn't. She liked machines and hard, powerful robotics, guns and heavy artillery, but she'd only seen the latter two in movies, pamphlets and magazines. She was a mechanic, not a fighter or an Alliance marine. So when she got bogged down with these feelings of fear, sadness and loss she didn't know what to think or how to handle it.

 

"Keire, if I talk to you will you relay all of that to Marcus?" She asked, carrying her tea back to the spare room and sitting carefully on the bed, folding her legs up beneath her. She sat aside her cup on a round, clear coaster with bits of grass, beeswax of an iredescant purple and green and what she thought looked like computer chips and icicles. She imagined the wax wasn't from a human world, or at least not Earth.

"Only if it is relevant to your mental and physical health." Keire said.

"Well, would bad dreams be considered detrimental?" She asked.

"Perhaps."

"Then I just won't-" She heard a blast from inside the home like a bomb and shouting. "Keire, what's going on?" She said, feeling stress and alarm flood through her.

"Invaders! I am calling authorities!" Keire said. After a minute or two that seemed like an hour, Kiere repeated herself. Katerin was hiding under the bed now, unsure of whether it would have been better to go in the closet or stay where she was. She was too afraid to move now, though and she could hear their footsteps.

 

"We know you're in there, skank! Come out!" She started to tremble and cupped a hand over her mouth, eyes blinking back fearful tears. "Come out, come out!" Someone opened the door and tapped on the wall, then a bit closer, then the bed frame.

"Gotcha!" She felt someone pull her leg and suddenly everything went black and the sounds of her screaming, kicking and thrashing as someone yelled at her drowned out to complete silence. The room seemed to turn on it's side and she was looking at her room upside down.

 

"Get off of me! No!" She wailed, thrashing and writhing like a fish on a bank. Eyes wide, she brought her knee to her chest, folded up in half as he pushed against her. Then, she put her foot against his chest and threw her weight into pushing the assailant off of her. She felt the tugging pull on her arm as he fell back. She didn't hesitate or falter in her pursuit, instead scrambling to her feet, hands fumbling with the wall and the dresser behind her in assistance of stance.

"Just hand yourself over, Kelly, and this won't be a problem!" He shouted, pulling a gun out from wherever on his body he'd been storing it. She couldn't say she'd noticed.

At first, Kat was afraid. Then she was assured. "You're buddies are standing in the door," She gestured to the two men's faces peering discreetly through the busted door. It seemed jammed. "And you didn't have your weapon out when you first came in. You won't shoot me or you would have done it all ready."

"Christanya shot you before, and I'll shoot you now. Don't... don't think I won't." He said, his defenses shaking.

"Then do it. And tell Christanya that if I get shot now you'd better have doctors on hand or I'll loose too much blood from your visits to be coherent and of use." She said, nodding to the bullet wound on her arm and moving her weight completely to her well leg briefly, in suggestion that she was left rather battered and attacked at every left turn.

 

Before anyone could say anything, there were gunshots outside Kat's bedroom door but no thuds. The fire took them both by surprise. To not give the man before her any time to respond, she kicked at his legs, sweeping them out from beneath him. He dropped his handgun to Kat's delight. She picked it up and aimed it at him with a determined, half whisper of a yell. She could hear the C-Sec Officers outside say something to her or maybe to the intruder, but she didn't care to listen. She was focused on keeping her gun tracked on him.

 

The door was cranked open, the system was overridden and her door was opened. She could hear a very frantic Marcus outside, begging them to free Katerin. Though, Kat was holding her own. The two officers rushed inside and one grabbed the man who had admitted defeat. The second officer pulled an ovular device off of the square pouch on his suit and snapped it around the mans wrists. He pushed the sides in until it held fast to his skin. Blue light a hum echoed around his hands and locked in place.

 

"Ma'am, please put down the weapon." The officer directed. "Hand it over." Katerin freely gave it up, slipping the nose of the gun into her hand with ease and familiarity, handing it to them with moist eyes still trained on the greasy man before her.

"Thank you." She said, nodding. Her breath was shaky and was devoid, sucked of all fire and fist it had before possessed. Marcus stepped forward and hugged her. She patted his shoulder weakly with one hand, still looking on at the man. He began to step back, but Katerin grabbed his shirt and stopped him. "Marcus, someone is after me and I think it has something to do with Daniel and Jonah." She said.

"Why do you-" Marcus started to speak, but Katerin pulled tighter on his shirt collar, with her other hand.

"And I don't want to talk now." She hissed, letting him go and looking blankly at the officers. A vague expression an dry, dull eyes no matter how many times she blinkes could convince them that she wasn't more than she appeared. Kat had never wielded a gun- or any weapon that wasn't a phiatic blowtorch- but she wouldn't have hesitated to shoot that man if he'd threatened her or made an advance.

 

Marcus left reluctantly to go finish taking care of things, him and one of the officers leaving. The other stayed with Katerin, looking at her strangely like he'd never seen another human on the citadel before. Finally, he said, "I'd like to ask you some questions, ah, Ms. Kelly?"

"No, I don't know who they are. No, I don't have any idea. I haven't seen them before in my life." She said. She blinked at him slowly. "I don't have any enemies that are on the citadel and I'm from the small colonies so everyone I did know is dead or being eaten alive. I don't know anyone who might want to kill me and I'll surely give C-Sec a call if anything is wrong. Thanks."

"Ah- Um. Yeah... I guess... that's everything I was going to ask you." he said pointedly through blushing cheeks and unexpected shock.

"Yep." She nodded and looked from him to the door, gesturing with a flat hand for him to go. Kat wasn't normally a rude person, but she wanted to be alone. And she didn't know anything and she didn't want to say anything.

"I'll... just go then. Ah, have a nice night." He said, turning around and leaving. 

 

Katerin hung her head, sitting at the floor of her bed with her leg hanging down and her comfort and security again shaken. She wasn't safe a home, she wasn't safe in a crowded nightclub. She couldn't be safe anywhere. If she could trust her gut instincts, she'd say she wanted no help from C-Sec. f she was smart, she' gladly and eagerly accept their help. But she wasn't. Katerin was stupid and she'd of course want to handle this on her own. She didn't know how yet, but Maybe Jonah would know how. Talking to him would be the next step.

She heard the door open and she turned to see Marcus stepping through and shutting the door. The officers were gone and it was just her, Kiere and her brother.

"Hey, sis. You doin' okay?" He asked, sitting down beside her.

"I want a dog." She said simply in a matter-of-fact way.

"There's no reason you can't have one." He said. "You'll need some company around the house and I'd feel better leaving you alone if there was a dog around with you."

"Same here." She said."I'll go tomorrow, then. I have some money in the bank and I won't be out of work for too long." Kat was never someone who liked to be still for very long, but with her injuries, she wanted nothing more than to catch up on sleep and heal so that she could be back in her game.

"So the explosion... Did they blow the door of out place?" She asked.

"No, just dented it. Apparently the explosives weren't enough to blow the door out, but it'll have to be replaced." HE said. She was starting to feel bad. IT didn't seem like they were after anyone but her. They didn't care about Marcus but he was being dragged into this.

"How many were here?" She asked. 

"Just three. Try not to think about it too much, Kat. It's best if you can try to keep your mind on something else."

"How can I?" She remarked. She'd been traumatized.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Marcus asked. He'd not seen her since she was much younger and Kat had always scared easy.

"I... I think I'll be okay. What are the chances of us being attacked again so soon?" She joked, but quickly remembered the VI and snapped, "Keire, don't answer that."

 

 

After that her brother left and let her sleep. Of course, she didn't get much. She was worried sick, her stomach tossing and turning as much as she was. She couldn't keep her eyes closed and even when she tried to think of something different, she kept coming back to the thought of her brother getting hurt. To the image of her sister. To the way that Jonah and Suvinus had fought and she'd simply run.

 

The next morning Kat did exactly as she'd planned. She got dressed and left to hit the stores around the citadel. After she bought a few new outfits, she changed her clothes in the cab and then was on her way to a pet store. She'd been lucky and found one quickly. She'd stopped to see the birds of various species, the fish of various species and the... well, felines of various species. She didn't know all of them were actually cats until she read the sign. They were oddly shaped, they growled like dogs and had little hair with bulging, bloodshot eyes. Apparently Krogan had their versions, too.

 

Kat was quick to find the canine section, though. She;d always liked animals. Cats, dogs. It didn't matter to her. She wasn't particularly fond of fish or birds as birds functions got the better of them and fish weren't personable and petting them was virtually off limits. Some of the alien species had fish one could pet, but they were a bit too outlandish for her. they had all the attributes of a murlock and the appeal of a fungus.

 

"Can I help you, miss?" An asari with red streaks on her scalp and rings around the individual extensions turned around and smiled at her. She wore a dress that was common in asari fashion; Red bikini top that was a bit too small, a smooth material jacket in electric blue over top that didn't cover much but her sides and a tight, form fit miniskirt that was black.

Katerin was taken aback. She was a rather attractive person and Kat could see know what people saw when they gabbed about asari. "I was just looking for a dog. Something big calm, but protective." She said.

"Hmm. So you need a pet who'll stand up for you, but you're looking for the company more than an alarm system, I take it? I have just the guy. HE's not a purebred, but who wants one of those anyway?" She said sorely. She made a pained face like there was something deeper to the statement and Kat wondered about the woman. She'd heard of a sari purebreds before, but were they really that bad. "He's a Great Dane, native to Earth so you should feel right at home."

"Actually, I'm from a colony. Give me an ice cube and yeti and I'm happy." She said.

"A... yeti? If that's an animal, we don't have one." She said, shaking her head and stopping.

"Oh, no. It's a legend among humans. Big furry, snowy creatures that exist to scare children." Kat shrugged, wishing she'd kept her joke to herself.

"Oh. I see." She took her to a room with a glass door and windows that showed inside to display several dog in proportionately sized cages. There was a play-pen area for them so Kat didn't feel so bad about the beasts not getting any exercise or out time.

"Is this him?" She asked, looking at a large, brown dog whose cheeks were laying wet and slobbering over his paws. He was tired, it was obvious, but he cut his eyes up at her when she stopped in front of him and he wagged his tail in a circular motion. Up and around, up around, beating on the walls of his cage.

"That's him. He's a new rescue, so I hope you don't mind. I could try and find you a better dog-

"Oh, no. He's perfect. I'd love to re-home him." She said, suddenly feeling warm and happy about the choice, but saddened for the dog's personal misfortune. "Does he have a name?"

The asari opened the door for the dog and leg him out. He got up and walked around Kat, sniffing her legs, back and hands before coming to stand by the asari who tried impatiently to usher him toward Kat. "They called him Venner, but I don't think he likes it."

"Hmm. We;ll have to think of something then. How about... Benoit?" She patted her legs and the dogs walked forward, seemingly interesting in the name. she said it again in happier voice and he jumped on her, paws over her shoulders and forearms rested against her chest. "Ho! You're a big boy!" She laughed, petting his head and scratching behind his ears as he panted. When she turned to look at him better he liked her face from chin to hairline, wetting her skin and thoroughly dampening her hopes of keeping his tongue in his mouth. Oh, well. Danes were a drooling breed.

"We have classes on Saturday and Friday that can teach your dog commands, obedience, manners." She said.

"Hmm. You might learn a few commands, Benoit. It'll give me a reason to get out of the house anyway. Stretch the old gunshot wound." She joked, still rubbing the dog's fur as he slid down from her.

"So will I be seeing you again?" The asari asked, looking at her softly. Her voice was mature and straightforward. Professional would have been good.

"I guess you will." Kat said, nodding.

"Good. I look forward to it." She shook hands with Kat and touched a hand to her own chest, long fingers reaching out gracefully. "My name's Veyza T'yan. I'm the instructor of the class."

"Is T'yan a common name?"

"Ah, it might be? Why?" She asked, confused as she let go of Kat's hand.

"Because I think I might have met your sister." She said.

"Ryezia or Napora?" She smiled and raised her hairless brow, intrigued.

"Ryezia. I met her at Purgatory." She said. "She's very friendly."

Veyza scoffed. "She must have been drinking. Ryezia's the mean one. She gave me this scar when we were children. Bit me for no reason." She held out her arm, showing Katerin the teeth marks that were imprinted on her skin. "But she's mostly bark, so to speak."

"Hmm. Reminds me a bit of my own sister." Kat said, remembering a few times when Rhiannon's bitter spite got the best of her. Tumbling down stairs or shoved underneath a couch cushion with another's weight above her, Katerin had spent a fair amount of time being antagonized by her little sister. They'd never gotten into a serious verbal fight or a physical one, but she and Rhiannon had always spent their time one-upping the other or pissing away the time on some petty prank.

 

Katerin took home her new, loveable, slobbering friend and let him walk around the apartment and get his bearings. Once Katerin sat down in the living room and curled up, warm, fuzzy blanket tickling her nose, she felt his weight shift on the couch. It was about like being stuck under a collapsed building. A massive weight on her body and the occasional sniffle or puff as he fell asleep. Most animals trusted Kat, but Benoit seemed trusting and fond of her.

 

She remembered later when she'd been in an attempt to shift and move her weight that Jonah had given her his call number. She gave Keire the digits and wasn't surprised to see him boredly standing with his arms rested against the railing of the citadel parkway. Next to him was a girl with a punk attitude, short choppy brown hair in a pixie cut, labrets and a cigarette between her teeth. She wore a white tank top over her slim, petite figure and a pair of shiny black short underneath. She looked tough and unapproachable to Kat, but she had this "I'm cool and I know it" appeal that made Kat feel a bit ordinary in comparison. Still. She apparently had a nicely defined seat which Jonah felt like pointing out int he workplace.

 

"Hey, hon'." He said. The girl next to him narrowed her eyes surrounded by smokey black shadow.

"Call me that again and I'll have her punch you for me." Kat said, shaking her head.

"I'm not too worried." He said carelessly. His friend seemed to disagree because she slapped him on the forehead, what she could reach at a comfortable and naturally positioned angle.

"Angel, you bitch." He complained. "Anyway, how's it goin', Kat? What do you need?"

"Ah, I had visitors last night. They came in my house." She said, a bit wary of the girl next to him.

"Damn. They're hell-bent on getting you." He said, shaking his head. "You might want to watch out, Kat. That drooling lecher will only be one less bullet in your back if they want to kill you."

"Thanks. That makes me feel better. What do they want with me?" She whined, fretting again. This was her life and her security at risk, put on the line for some unhappy, bored people to play with.

He sighed and shifted, chewing his lip and working his jaw. "Look, I'll put some hands out for my contacts, get a feel of what they know. I'll let Suvinus know if I have any leads; he can help you. Might want to make new friends, Kat. You can trust him. I've known him for a few years now and he's always done right by me."

"Thank you, Jonah." She said. 

 

 

Marcus came home to find them in the same way, only throughout the day they'd of course procrastinated and were now sharing. Kat was upright in the fetal position and Benoit had his head laying in her lap and his oversized body taking up the sofa. The next morning, Kat woke up with Benoit laying by te kitchen and apparently waiting for food. Before she headed out to the obedience classes at ten thirty she fed him, dressed herself ad had her own breakfast alongside her dog. Fully fed and fully dressed she grabbed the leash and collar for him, clipping him up and leading him out. IT was refreshing to walk with her pet, him on her left and the fresh, clean air of the purified citadel nature blowing around her. Occasionally they'd pass something that would get Benoit's attention, but they'd continue and a few would comment the dog was a miniature horse and she could have ridden him instead of walking him. It gave her an idea of attempting carting, but then she'd have no real reason or use for it. Or anywhere to do it.

 

Kat was one of the last two to get there. The last was none other than Jonah in the flesh, his contemporary girlfriend behind him. Or, she assumed that was who the girl was. Or she was just a bored teenager with nothing better to do but blow bubbles in her gum outside of the class, watching over her shoulder with her back turned to them.

In the class, there was twelve, but only a few that stood out; A Krogan with a hilariously awkward pet. A chihuahua sized dog that looked remarkably like his master but pod shaped with two large, buggy eyes and green, silvery skin like a fish sat in the lap of his owner, staring at them and Kat had to wonder where it's mouth was. Then there was Jonah, his averaged sized border collie named Hamlet. Kat and Benoit, a human with a retriever and a tattooed woman who Kat found quite beautiful with a varren twitching and worrying behind her, logging chain wresting in her lap, but she looked like a criminal. 

 

She had a grey jacket on over top what appeared to be nothing at first, but Kat soon saw was a piece of latex that wrapped from the middle of one breast to the other covering no more than three inches of her skin. It was shaped so the three inches made a dot in the center but a thin piece ran between her breasts to hold it together. She may as well have just been wearing nothing at all.

 

Jonah and the Krogan had been staring at her for most of the class, but while Kat her to very attractive, she'd caught the eye of the instructor. As promised, it was Veyza and her eyes were locked on Kat's. She'd also gotten the most help from her, the most devoted attention and of course, the most praise. She'd also gotten a scheduled date afterwards that Kat wasn't sure she'd even caught or agreed to. When the date was discussed it seemed to fly past her lips with unfiltered or thought about care, coming out and finalizing itself. She didn't mind, it did leave her with a smile beaming on her face afterwards, but that was completely unexpected and Kat was shocked.

 

Should she have been so gleeful and excited about the date? More so than she was about her dog's show of success? He was mindful and waited to be given a new command. Sometimes, like any other animal, he'd lose his focus, but he seemed to have been taught a few tricks before. Sitting, laying down. He knew well enough how to do those. Well enough that when he was being taught other things he didn't flinch.

 

Katerin took him home, thought about what she'd do next and her new friend who was laying opposite her on the bed, but soon her mind drifted off to darker things. She told herself not to worry, but she could never promise herself she wouldn't be sick with concern and strife if foulness was afoot. she wanted to feel more secure with her brother in the house and her dog across from her.

"What do you think, Benoit?" She said, feeling the wear of the day and the pulling, promising lull of sleep. She rubbed his ears and smiled at him sleepily. "Should I learn to use a gun?" he sighed deeply and chuffed. "So you think it's a good idea, too."

 

 

 

 

Over a course of three months, Katerin had found herself new work, a budding relationship with the lovely asari at the pet store and a solid friendship with Suvinus and Jonah. She'd been lucky to find people she was comfortable associating with, but Kat was the friendly, charismatic sort when she was feeling trusting and safe. Her confidence was still patchy, but on some days Veyza would come over and they'd sit around in Kat's bedroom, talking and drinking whatever bottle of wine she'd snatched from Suvinus' collection. Apparently, since they'd formed a small clique, Veyza thought it perfectly fine to borrow from their turian counterpart's cabinet. If he ever even noticed, no one could tell.

 

Katerin had been quite handy with a gun and was a sound marksman, Suvinus had been impressed with her and on some days they'd go together to th shooting range. She was content with having him as the sarcastic, dry humor who was a bit of bore sometimes, Jonah and his girlfriend as the daring music lovers with new ideas, and Veyza the one who was always trying to get them to try new things and was always in the know about exciting things on the citadel. Katerin was the happy, laughing one who sat back with her dog and listened to everyone else. Veyza told her she was the glue, but was a bit more like tape. She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.

 

Suvinus spent most of his time alone, either at work or at a bar somewhere. Kat had learned to tolerate his drinking. He was conditioned, so he didn't get drunk as quickly as Kat did, much to Veyza and Jonah's delight. They were the ones who would give it their all- just to get her to go out. It was another thing to actually get her to drink, but the pair loved to tease and Kat was convinced it wasn't a dream when she woke up one morning cuddled between the two of them.

 

Since Katerin had met him, Suvinus had seemed more and more wrapped up in his investigation, whatever he and Captain Ladaran were sent to keep an eye on had certainly grabbed them and swept them up in it's cautionary development. She didn't know what it was they were looking for or doing, but it was kept secret and away. Suvinus didn't seem like the lying type. If he didn't want to tell you something, he just didn't. If he wanted to bend the truth, he would, but it was usually too much effort for him and he'd simply say that he wasn't going to share with you.

 

 

Three months was enough for Kat to grow comfortable with her clique. She was happiest when they were around, so with Veyza and her developing a relationship Kat was kept oblivious to the looks and stares she got. Kat never noticed it, but more than once she'd been attacked when eyes of bystanders. She was lucky to be with Jonah or Suvinus when it happened. Kat was good with a gun, but she didn't have any. She'd learned her way around a fight after enough time with friends and with the group that was hunting her. Veyza had her biotics like any good asari did, but it wasn't enough.

 

It was bad when Veyza and Ryezia had been attacked. Ryezia was in critical condition, but it seemed like she'd recover. As for Veyza, she just went home with a broken rib and a fracture in her wrist that would heal well enough. Katerin felt so guilty and she understood why Jonah wasn't fond of keeping people close. The reason why he never let anyone get to close was because he'd seen them get hurt before. Katerin was crushed. She had lost her sister, her family and her mother worked for some secret organization called DEL that wanted to kill her and her friends. She'd gotten Rhiannon killed already.

 

And so that had been the result that ended up pushing things over the cliff. She ended up isolating herself from her brother, Jonah, Suvinus... and most importantly from Veyza. She'd been pressed to break things off with her. She'd grown to like her so much so quickly, but that was probably just Kat's ignorance of life and of relationships. She moped for days, regretting it and childishly, hopelessly, leaving Veyza voice-mails or calling and choking to the point she'd hang up when she heard her answer. Veyza would also call and leave messages that Kat would never answer, but would play the recordings over just to hear her voice, knowing fully just how pathetic it was.

 

Marcus didn't know about the attacks, and it didn't take Kat long to decide she shouldn't have ever come to the Citadel. She couldn't drag the last of her family into it, too. Marcus had said he wanted to keep her close in case she had any side-affects from the Podratin and, of course, because he missed his family and was coping with the lose of his home planet and younger sister. It was admirable that he wanted to give her a home and didn't expect her to do anything in contribution. But she couldn't do that to him even if she wasn't being hunted. She terrified every day and she wasn't going to put him through that. After Rhiannon....

 

 

Katerin had made the decision to leave. She spent the night without any rest or let up. She was worried, her stomach feeling churned and sick. She was thinking, wondering, hurting. She wondered if this would continue to happen once she left the citadel?

The next morning she was all thumbs, blindly dressing herself in black leather pants that came to her waist and a dark grey tank top with a leather jacket over top and a pair of black part pumps. Her hair was surprisingly untangled, the opposite of what she'd expected. She grabbed the only thing of her sister's she had left; a white bandana with short tassels along two sides ghosted with a light grey Navajo pattern. Paler lines of a bright white zig-zagged above lines of grey with a an almost purple grey, though still too plae to tell, diamonds between the next group of parallel lines. Rhiannon had gotten it from a school trip to Earth. Marcus had found it and had given it to Kat, knowing it would mean a lot to her sentimentality.

 

She sighed with fondness and memory, tying it around her neck and looking in the mirror at the depravity and fright she saw behind her eyes and the hazing lines of missed sleep around them. She tucked her hair behind her ear on one side like she usually did and frowned. She missed the sense of calmness and happiness she used to have. Anymore she'd find herself with a shot of whiskey in her hand, Veyza scolding her for drinking. Katerin had always had a bit of an issue with insomnia, but it had gotten worse. She'd thrash and wake up screaming due to the horrific images in her dreams. She'd refuse to sleep until it got so bad she'd pass out from the exhaustion of having stayed awake for so long.

 

Kat went into the kitchen of her brother's apartment to see he was already gone. She poured herself a glass of orange juice, something she'd love no matter how depressed she was.

"Keire?" She started, taking a sip and twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"Yes, Katerin?" The VI said over one the speakers in the ceiling corner.

"Where's Marcus?"

"He left for work about an hour ago." She said.

"Good. When he gets back... when he gets back tell him I'll be with Suvinus." She said. "Can you call him for me? Suvinus, I mean."

"Yes." She said. The television behind her turned on, the glass screen black at first and then white, then blue as the connection was established. It pulled up a white tab in the middle with his name and number beneath.

"Katerin? It's been a while." He said.

"Yeah... Sorry. It's been a bit rough."

"I understand. You and Veyza... still together? I haven't heard from her either, but Angel was saying you'd split up." Angel Sev, Jonah's girlfirend, was a gossip, but Jonah could spit out the newest word in an instant, too.

She scoffed. "Uh, no. We- We called it off." She cleared her throat. "Look, I was wondering if you could take me to the docks? It's time for me to leave this place."

"It might not be a good idea for you to go there. The attacks have gotten worse. I told you C-Sec should have been told about this. Too late, now." He said. "Why do you want to leave, anyway? I thought you loved it here?"

She took a breath. "I think it'd be best if I just went somewhere else. Earth, maybe. I hear Eden Prime is beautiful this time of year." She thought aloud.

"Does your brother know?"

"Yeah." She lied. Suvinus and her brother didn't get along. Marcus would kill him for this if he found out Suvinus helped her leave without telling him.

He sighed. "Fine. I'll come get you."

The television flashed and turned off. Kat looked down at the ground with guilt. "Kiere, record a message for me. Leave it for Marcus, 'kay?"

"Recording now." She said, a chipper beeping noise following in succession.

She took a deep breath to prepare herself, filling her lungs with the smell of leather and coffee for the last time.  
"I don't want you to worry about me." She said, imagining her brother receiving this. Saying all these things to him. Something she could never be brave enough to really do. "Just know that I've decided I won't be a burden. My wounds have healed and I'm afraid I'm going to get someone hurt." She shrugged weakly and rubbed her arm where she'd been shot. A twinge of pain ghosted her skin and she knew it was in her head. She'd expected it to hurt like an unclosed wound, not like daily massaged scar tissue. 

"And I'm going to be away for a while so don't expect to see me around. I'll let you know where I'm going when I know myself. I just... can't stay here. I did some thinking last night and I don't want to be burden on the friends and family I still have left. It's not right for you guys." She paused and felt the moisture in her eyes she'd been trying so hard to keep away roll down her cheek in a lone droplet. "I love you, brother. I'll pay you back for all of this. I promise."

 

With a bitter taste in her mouth and her hazel eyes stinging like chemical warfare the hurt girl turned to leave. Kat felt like she'd burned everything she'd built, the old life on Polius exchanged for the one on the citadel and now it, too, was being burned in exchanged for a life on some space station or a new colony. She didn't even know where she was going. Feeling irresponsible and shameful she grabbed an old hiking rucksack she had and stuffed some of her things into it. Slinging it across her back and taking one last look at her room, she turned away for the door.

She called Benoit, clipping a leash to him and left, shutting the door to her brother's apartment and waiting outside with a frown on her face, messy, unbrushed hair and broken hazel eyes. It wasn't long before she saw Suvinus approach her and say her name. She stood up and followed him to docks feeling less than sure of her plan. When he asked her of it she could only say she was leaving. But, since she didn't have any way or idea of how to leave the citadel, she'd probably have to board a less than admirable vessel. Of course, that could even work out in her favor if there was undoubtedly people who were trying to kill her. They wouldn't be able to trace a smaller vessel as well. Or so she was hoping.

 

She didn't expect this to be easy but she prayed the rest of it would sail over sooth seas. She'd miss her family. She felt like she was loosing them all in one lazy flick of the wrist that to her was a blow to the head. Her sister's corpse was ashes. Embers cold, particles spread from one side of the colony to the next but to her it felt like her eyes were glossy and shining, her cold and sharp tongue only now still.

 

 

 

"We're here." Suvinus said after the forty-five minute long cab ride had begun to feel like an eternity. He slid his door open and glanced at Kat. He opened his mouth to say something and instead just looked away, wordless.

"You have something to say. Say it." She said, expecting a lecture for virtually abandoning her brother without a word to his face. He was losing both of his sisters because of her inability to handle it with anything but cowardice.

"I might know how to find the people who're after you." He said with a sigh indicative of reluctance to say anything.

"So? I don't care about them. I just want to get out of here. I'm done with them."

"Well, they're not done with you, Katerin. You can't run away from this. They'll just follow you. Those people recognized Jonah and they've tracked him. They'll do the sae to you. You can't balk from danger." He said.

"Don't be so melodramatic." She said. "It's just... a hiccup. They're mistaken! I'll go to Earth, I'll be safer there. C-Sec is useless anyway."

"C-Sec isn't involved." He said, denying her a win in this. "After what you went through you decided you wanted to tough it out, handle it yourself." He shrugged, giving her a nonchalant blow off. "If you want to leave we're not far from the docks."

She glared at him from low under her brow, not deigning to turn her head up to him. It was a foul, undeserving glower, but she was also thinking and what she decided was the fuel for the look. It was mostly to herself, but to him for succeeding in persuading her. "What do you know?"

He smiled and she frowned even more, her lowered brow intense. "I pulled a few strings and got some information on the people after you. Bit difficult without drawing attention to myself anymore than I already have, but doable."

"Go on." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, still pouting.

"Fortis Lyre. He knows something about the attacks on the small colony planets. If we can talk to him, maybe find out why they're after you, we can put an end to it and you can leave to an avail."

"Let's do it." She said, grabbing her rucksack out of the cab and slinging it over her shoulder. She gestured for him to lead. Benoit stayed in the cab, panting and watching out the window.

 

 

Kat could hardly stand the anticipation she felt. The anxiety? It just built up inside her, piling up and waiting to spill out. She wanted to leave, not spend more time on the Citadel. She didn't even like it here. But she had to understand her life now and get questions answered before she could go forward. According to Suvinus, Fortis' address was 1846. It didn't take them long to get there., Kat was surprised to see the turian put his hand on the gun strapped to his hip before knocking on the door.

 

"Fortis Lyre?" He hissed.

The door slid open. "What do you need now? How many people are going to be visiting me today?"

"I'd like to talk to you about something."

"And who are you? I don't know you." He said, curling up his nose and groaning at them liek he was thinking of an insult brewing in his mind like the liqour in his hand.

"I'm High-Commander Suvinus Licuss. I just need-."

"Go to hell." He said, and started to shut the door.

Suvinus caught it with his hand and said, "Wait! You may not know me, but you might know your niece." He said, his mandibles moving up and out in a way she'd been seeing reoccur and was undecided on whether it was just for speech or a let in on his emotions, a tell.

"My niece? I ain't got no fucking niece." He hissed. The man was a slob. His hair was tousled, he was overweight and he was very revolting. He smelled of alcohol, and not just because of the beer he held locked up in a flask but because of the stains on his clothing and breath.

"That can't be-" again, Suvinus was interrupted.

"I'm telling you, I ain't got a fucking niece! Now what do you want?"

 

He looked to Kat and the way that he spoke and the hilt he affected his voice with told her he expected her to lie for this. "Oh, I'm positive Kat's a relative. She looks a bit like you." Oh, she'd get him for that comment. Katerin was cute and happy. This man looked like a retarded bulldog.

"Our skin and eyes ain't the same color, and it isn't in her hair either. And if we are related, where's her accent, eh? I'm from Canada, back on Earth. You even been to Canada?"

"Mom always promised she'd take me there... in, in her letters. She never got the chance." Kat said, keening her brow upwards.

"Heh." He grunted, beginning to turn away again. Suvinus' jaws flickered and she realised he was disappointed if not annoyed it was in vain.

"He might not remember me. No one talked about us... not after..." Kat tried her best to seem truly sorrowed, pained by a thing in her life that had never happened. She tried to think of her own parents, how she'd been kicked out, turned away and cast aside so many times. It shouldn't' have hurt like it did when it happened and she'd always hated how she felt for it. Now, she could use that pain."Not after mom abandoned us."

"What? Grace wouldn't have done that." Fortis scoffed.

"How would you know? She never mentioned us." Kat sobbed.

Fortis sighed. "Well, she did have a reputation for getting around. Come in. You can't stay here though. I ain't got nowhere for you to go." He waved them in and sat down on the couch inside his house. He gestured for Suvinus and Kat to sit down. Suvinus took the only chair and left Kat to sit beside him on the couch to which she did not. Kat chose to stand beside the table and smile uncomfortably.

 

"Mr. Lyre I'd like to ask you a few things, if that's alright?" Suvinus said. "I know you just met your lost family and I apologize for any inconvenience. But it's important."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get on with it?"

Suvinus crossed his legs and Kat wondered how his leg extensions didn't get caught on the rest of his scales. By the same token, wouldn't the spikey- extension on his head get in the way? Turians were strange, strange creatures. "I need to know about Varrin Tance."

"I already talked about this. It's a damned children's book. That's it. I don't imagine you turians would know about it." He groaned.

Suvinus' mandibles by his jaw flickered in their place, a sign he was annoyed and his patience was wearing thin. "Then can you tell me anything about the recent attacks on smaller planets? Ones like Dix, Tannice, Polius and Oios." anytime there was an 's' it just seemed to slide off his tongue making the list of planets an interesting and somewhat hissing one to listen to. He sounded a bit like an air-leak or a cobra. She'd have to tell him that. She wondered if he knew? If all turians had such a hiss to go with 'extra' flanging, which she didn't think they did, would he even notice it?

 

"Yeah, sure. Slavers fucked the place to shit." He made a suggestive gesture by his waist and laughed before coughing. Suvinus choked back a bit of turian bile and a growling roll resonated from the back of his throat, showing his disgust. "I hear they wanted to stop information from spreading, something about mutation, schizophrenia, split personalities. Disorders. Some of the people in the facilities talked about "voices in their heads" and some of 'em even killed themselves because the voices told them to. Some drilled holes in their heads not deep enough to kill them before the doctors could get there. Just enough to "let the people out." They didn't want anybody to know when word started to leak. So, they sent in some mercs and blew up the research facilities."

Suvinus looked at Kat and said "Would you mind leaving us alone for a moment?" She shrugged and went around the corner into the kitchen, leaning around the doorway when he stopped looking. "We heard you had an inside connection. I need to hear everything you know."

"What's in it for me?" Fortis said, a grimace on his face.

Suvinus flew to his feet and put a hand on the arm of the couch beside where he sat, the other trapping him in.  
"You tell me what you know and I let you live." He threatened.

"Woah, woah. Calm down, bird-breath." He spat, looking away from the person above him. "Alright, look. There's this organization called 767-D..." He started coughing violently. 

 

Suddenly, Fortis' started twitching, his body seizing before him. Suvinus stepped away, watching as froth came out from the man's mouth, bubbling out and dripping onto his cehst. His eyes slowly turned red and rolled back in his head as he spasmed and fell on the floor, his limbs flailing as he babbled unintelligably.It seemed fitting of his character to have piss and beer puddling and mixing on the floor around his body.

"Damn it, Fortis!" He said, watching the man choke and hack.

"Shouldn't you try helping him?" Kat asked as she came back into the room. She didn't care if he died or lived- but she still had questions she'd hoped to ask him. The only thing she knew now was that other planets that had facilities had been taken down by someone. But why? Even Suvinus didn't know. She wondered if it was the same people, it had to be. She needed to know what they wanted and then maybe she culd put a stop to it.

"There's no helping him now, Katerin." He sighed. "He's been poisoned." Fortis' body convulsed dramatically and then went still slowly, no life appearing in his eyes. He put a foot on the corpse and jiggled it a bit before getting an annoyed look and shaking his head.

Kat tilted her head back and rolled her eyes. "What are we going to do now?"

"He was your uncle wasn't he? I'm sorry for your loss." He said sarcastically, chuckling a bit at his own sick humor.

"You can't joke about death!" She stressed, looking at him with horror. "Do you know what it's like to lose someone?"

"No one's going to miss him, Kat." He wrinkled his nose and groaned. "I need to get out of here. This has happened before, to a few of my other leads. IT seems like any time we get close the target is eliminated and not by us. Yet test results can't place what poison it is." He said. "I don't have any answers!" He uttered a line of what she took to be swears but they weren't in any language she understood, just a series of clicks and growling garble.

"Where should we go?" Kat asked. This time it was real. She didn't know her way out of this section of the ward and she'd appreciate leaving the citadel soon. This, all this confilct, it was real. IT was happening. And she was being swept up like dirt in a rug to this chaos. There was something amiss and she didn't know what it was. She didn't really even want to know what it was, just get away from it.

 

"Come, soft one. I'll take you to C-Sec. You should talk to someone there. Might be time to get involved." Suvinus said in an almost kind voice, Kat's shoulders to guide her out of the apartment.

"Soft one?" Kat questioned, turning around with a brow raised. "Just because I don't have scales doesn't make me soft."

"Sure it does. I'm not soft." He said, tapping his plating. "See?"

"No, you're hard and crunchy." She frowned, earning another scratchy chuckle from him. "Oh, just point me in the direction of a bar." She whined.

He laughed, coarse and dry. "You? I'm not an expert on your culture but you look a bit young, Kat. I'm sure you've told me but I don't give a damn how old you are. Why is it every time I talk to you you're looking for a drink? I'm a bad influence."

"I'm old enough!" She replied with a pout.

"Sure." He teased, crossing his arms. "I'd be happy to look so youthful." He couldn't be that old himself. She didn't know how long they lived but he could have been the equivalent of thirty. He seemed that age. Knowledgeable and mature as well as confident, but still so tired and worn out. Like a part of him was missing. Dry humor and scarasm couldn't hide the broken down shell that he was. He then shook his head and walked down, an amused glint in his eyes. 

 

"Why don't you get off the Citadel?" A voice affected by an accent that hinted the speaker was from England back on Earth sounded from behind them. It was also muffled and sounded like they wore a mask. A woman with her entire head covered with black latex or the like stood behind them. The suit was full body from her head to her feet which only had black gauze wrapped around the feet of her shining 'liquid' suit. Where her nose was she had a mesh triangle so she could breathe and black but clear glass in a narrow triangle that pointed inward was over her eyes, glowing with what looked like information. They were screens. There were moving obeject on them like they were scanning Kat and Suvinus. She had nothing on her. No personal effects and no artifacts. Just... a suit of anonymity.

 

"Who are you?" Suvinus asked, pulling his gun out but not raising it. "Speak."

"I am no one. Call me GM, if you'd like. I believe QX is also a name given to me. Gira. Vira. Virus." She started humming a tune that was surprisingly catchy, but also short and plain. She wasn't even sure it was actually a song, a child's lullaby. Kat would hum like that when she would cook. Then, the woman said, "Ooh." Like she was eating a pie with sinister conflictions and the humming became almost as eery as this shadow seemed. "Call me... Virus." She whispered, pacing.

"Virus." Suvinus repeated. "What do you want?"

"I just want you to forget about me. I am no one you need to trust, but no one you need distrust. Go to Monument and you can find trustworthy help."

"Monument?" Kat asked, looking at her strangely. That was the name of the alliance ship that had rescued her.

"Correct. Not the Monument you boarded, but the docks of less than a proud nature. A woman will be there who will help you, with convincing. You would know her by tattoos and a Boston eye."

"I don't understand."

"Talk to the dock workers. They will help you find this... Boston eye." She chuckled like it was the galaxy's best joke.

"I don't know what she's talking about should we even- hey!" Katerin had turned to Suvinus for one moment and she saw out of the side of her vision the woman cutting through the air flying upward on a beam at the top of room where there was a catwalk around the corridors and walks of the Citadel. It wasn't long before the shadow was gone and they couldn't still see Virus.

"What was that about?"

"I don't know, Kat." He said calmly and flatly. "I'll go to the docks with you. You might need help if this is a trick." He said.

"Which it probably is." She said. "I don't want to go the docks now." She'd spent the whole time wanting just to escape. Now someone told her to and she didn't want to go.

"And Katerin." Virus said from somewhere above them but seemingly nowhere. At least nowhere she could pinpoint. "You may find that they're on their way to you. The woman who will help you is of little trust and repute, her reputation riding on violence and anger, but if you mention the Dogs of Omega, she will not turn you away. Do not cast aside help. You have no choices in this. How will it look being that you were the last to speak with Fortis William Lyre, hmm? I promise you I mean no harm to you. I'd like to help. And right now I'm telling you to take your chances with pirates than in jail. Those people can kill you much easier if you're in a cage. And Kat, humanity needs your help." And just like that the voice disappeared.

"So. Now that she's put the fear of God into me, should we get to the Docks?" Kat said.

"Yeah." He said, looking to his left as he faced her and grabbed her wrist. "We've got company!"

 

They burst down the hall, running to the end and turning to the left. Kat pushed down her heels and stumbled to a stop when she saw the round door in front of them and the grey panel. Suvinus had already pressed the button to open it and was waiting eagerly and impatiently for the way to be clear. Finally, the door opened, but not in time for a bullet to pierce Suvinus' armor. Blue waves of energy rippled over him.

"Suvinus!" She gasped, looking to him.

"I'm fine, go!" He said, gun still in his hand. He all but dragged Katerin along with him. To keep her feet under her and her arm attached she had to make a good attempt to keep up, but it was a failed one. She felt like a newborn deer, her hocks hooking over one another and her legs seeming to go everywhere. It wasn't that bad, maybe, but running for one's life was never done with any grace or poise. Just desperation and fear and Kat had mastered that in the months that passed.

 

 

It wasn't soon enough for Kat's liking that they reached the cab and the High-Commander shoved her in, sliding the door shut and launching them forward. When they could no longer see the attackers and their firing ceased, Katerin gave a shuddering release of the breath she'd hardly been aware she'd kept.

 

"You humans run too slow!" He complained, cracking his knuckles first by linking them and then by pressing a fist into his palms.

"Well, if we were all ostriches the Council would have a hard time keeping us apart." She said.

"What's an ostrich?" He asked, confused by feeling offended but ignorant on the beast. She waved her hand and frowned, her comment lost on someone who didn't know about human animals. Benoit reminded her he was there when he stuck his cold nose on her arm and she smiled.

 

 

Just another cab ride and Katerin was thinking about her sister again, looking out the window at the light surrounding the citadel, the other cars flying above, below and around them. The only thing she'd ever wanted when she lived on the planet was for Rhiannon to be old enough to leave. She would have left sooner, since only scientists were allowed to live on the facility and no one else wanted to be on the planet, but her parents had asked her less than politely to stay until her sister was of age. In other words, 'since it's all your doing you can be burdened with what we don't want.' However, Kat was found just too insufferable and disappointing that they couldn't keep her in the house any longer. She was booted to the road and left to fend for herself. Rhiannon never came to see her.

 

She wasn't the only one to have dealt with having loveless parents; there were many other children there that had gone through it. Not all of them ended up 'defects' that had to be moved away, however. Some did. On Polius you attended one of two schools. The most prestigious on the upper level, or the still above average one on the lower level. Then, you returned home and did more studies. When you came of age you went to respectable colleges on other planets. When you came back with your degree you devoted your life and body to science and your children did the same. It was a cycle. When the cycle was broken by people like Katerin or people with disabilities like blindness it was heavily frowned upon. It was a dissappointment and they didn't deal well with let downs.

 

Not everyone on Polius was a scientist, but the colony was built around the research facility. Sixty seven percent of the populous was made up of the scientists. Another fifteen percent was of the doctors who worked in the little infirmary and the other eighteen were regular civilians, merchants, doctors outside of the facility, teachers and dockworkers. Or, of course, there were the other people who simply did nothing and lived in the slummy, filthy area. Some of the Polius colonists lived or worked above ground, like Kat.

 

She'd approached one of the shops that was open and spoke to the salarian who was boredly sitting by while people ignored him and his kiosk. He seemed excited when she came by until she asked if he knew of any ships that were leaving the citadel soon.

He sighed. "You'd better go by the docking ports and ask. I can't help you. I'd be careful, though. The cheaper they are the cheaper places they'll be going. And if you see any shady looking-" He paused and waved at her to lean in closer over the counter. "Right. If you see any shady looking batarians I would try to avoid them. They're probably slavers." He nodded and she smiled, thanking him and walking away again

 

She was going to catch the first ship out that she could afford... which wasn't going to be much. Kat kept a eye out for elcor milling about around the citadel and she didn't see any batarians when she did get to the docks so she counted herself lucky to not have any run-ins.

After a moment, Kat got a call from her brother, an image of him and his number showing up below it on the screen of her omni-tool. She immediately though to anser his call, but then she stopped. Tears pooled in her eyes, something Suvinus didn't noticed and left her, walking ahead a few feet before he noticed the absence of her non-stop rambling. Kat sat down against the rail of the docks that kept them from leaping off into space. Benoit was he first to try and comfort her, sticking his snout in her face, but Suvinus crouched down beside her and looked at her strangely. She was about to explain why she'd been hit hard with regret when she was interrupted.

 

She gasped when she heard a crash, looking up to see two human teenagers and a vorcha rolling, tripping and nigh on flying over the people and crates that had been in their way, upsetting quite a few dockworkers who leaped out of their way. Benoit began barking and growling, standing up and posturing defensively in front of Kat and Suvinus.

She watched in stunned amazement as a turian crouched over one, grabbing his arms and pulling them behind his back like they had done it before a thousand times, snapping them together in handcuffs, chasing after the others who were still running. The vorcha was down now, pounced on, in the literal sense, by the turian who looked up to see Suvinus holding the last human boy. He'd made to run past, but Suvinus had put a leg out to trip him, twisting his arms together behind him and pulling him to stand.

 

"Ah, thank you for the favor." The turian purred in a soft, melodic voice after the other two had been collected. The soft prettiness allowed Katerin to recognize who it was. "You know, you just can't out-run a turian." Suvinus had already wrapped the cuffs around the human's hands, knowing the other would have only two at the most while he gave the turian a burdened look.

"Captain." Suvinus griped.

"My favorite High-Commander." Ladaran put a finger to the headpiece on the helmet that he was still refusing to remove. "I've got all three if you'll come pick them up." He chirped.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I could say the same for you. I know you don't live around here and I know damn well you aren't leaving so if you're looking to rent a room at one of the motels here..." Ladaran shuddered.

"Spirits, no." Suvinus said. Apparently, the rooms were not at all recommended. She wondered how long they'd been here on the Citadel; how many times they had been before.

 

Ladaran seemed to grow questionably quiet before sighing and sauntering closer, putting a hand on Suvinus' shoulder and sliding it down his arm. She still didn't understand turian body language or customs, but they always seemed so close and yet Suvinus didn't seem to return the likeness. It could have just been a personal thing, she told herself. Kat herself liked to talk while Rhiannon had always quiet and reserved. She was dead quiet now, she supposed.

Ladaran gazed at his skin before dragging the back of a hand over his arm, close to his cowl. "Why don't you come by later. We'll have a few drinks and talk. See where the night takes us."

Suvinus hid a scoff in a nervous chuckle as he put hand up, taking Ladaran's and politely moving it away. "I'm not sure that's the best idea." He said in rejection. Bluntly, he added "Plus, I really don't want to."

Ladaran chirped at the comment, the equivalent of a human grunt, but when it was made from a turian it came across as more of a pitched rumble. However, it was more in acknowledgment or possibly in anticipation. "Come over anyway. You never agree to these things, Suvinus." His expression stayed true and never faltered just as his opnion of not going did. "You can bring the others." Ladaran said flatly and darkly with arms folded.

"I'll think about it." Suvinus said.  
Ladaran looked impatient, but instead of the words coming from either turian, it came from the vorcha next to them.

 

"Auch!" He hacked. "Will you two please just stop! Ragh!" He barred his teeth at them, but of course, vorcha were always barring their teeth. "He obviously doesn't want to visit yooouuu!" He snarled, holding his head. "You talk to much for Xerget!" The alien wailed once again.

Ladaran's head lolled to the side slowly and angrily. He really looked like he was about to bring his hands across the vorcha's ugly face when a human and her turian partner arrived, their feet hitting the ground in quick succession.

"Thank you, Captain!" The human woman said, doubling over with her hands on her knees in attempt to catch her breath.

"Yeah, we're lucky you were there." The turian said, exhausted himself.

"You're damn right you're lucky!" Ladaran said. "Spirits, if this is Citadel Security's finest..." Ladaran stopped and sighed. "Just get them out of here. I have something bigger I need to look into." Brushing past them ad shoving one of the arrested humans into the arms of a C-sec officer, the Low-Captain stormed away and muttered.

 

Suvinus sympathized with the poor officers and thanked them, calling Ladaran a few harsh names as he tapped a three-toed foot. the two officers began hauling them off while suvinus shook his head at the predicament he was in. Ladaran was not pleased, actually quite offended, and it seemed this was something he'd had to deal with more than once before. He turned back to Kat and nodded for her to walk with him. He seemed stiff and rather out of sorts, but why wouldn't anyone be? Kat had the feeling it had more to do with personal things than just Kat's disappearing or Ladaran's haughty temper. She didn't know what else he had been through, but she could piece together that he'd obviously been sent to work information out of people about the planets and the attacks that were being seen all over them and with Fortis Lyre having been killed, well. What then? How would his superiors like that? They didn't. Ladaran had already vented at him for having failed and there were others above him that he would be letting down.

 

For Kat, she no longer had ties. No family, save Marcus, no home and no responsibilities. The only thing she had to watch out for was Rhiannon. Suvinus possibly had a family, though she didn't figure so with how much time he had spent away at Purgatory. He also didn't seem worried and wasn't fretting about getting home to them. If Kat had children, she knew she would be protective. It was in nature to coddle and to protect.

With Rhiannon she had always held a firm hand on her leash, much to her dismay. It wasn't really her place as a sibling, but being older meant she had a say in what she did and didn't do, or at least thought that she did. With her having such a crucial disability she felt like it was even more her duty to watch out for her. Katerin had been the older sister to her, always protective and standing up for her any time someone messed with her sister. Kat was the loyal one where Marcus was the bookworm who loved just as much to help people as Kat did and Rhiannon was the loner who was, in all reality, a brat who was spoiled despite her upbringing.

 

 

 

Kat was over her sorrow and remorse, thought guilt was still eating away at her from the inside out. She stopped someone who worked there to ask if any of the ships were leaving or if anyone was hiring people. Kat didn't care if she had to do ship maintenance or pay half a year's salary. She wanted off this station.

 

"Ah, I think maybe that group over there might be hiring. But... if I was you, I'd wait and save up some money to leave. You don't want to end up on a-" She interrupted the poor dockworker.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Slavers, whatever. Thanks." She said dismissively, shuffling over to the group of people who were loading boats onto the small ship.

 

Suvinus hung back a bit, but was still with her. They were noticed by a woman with blonde hair, sides and back shaved while the top was about five or six inches long and pushed back. The ends reached about halfway to the end of her hairline in a pointed 'v'.

Her features were striking, her lips painted a striking, bloody red, pouty and thick but in a way that seemed brooding and maybe slightly annoyed or disgusted. Her upper lip appeared larger than the bottom one, an illusion created by her barely there cupid's bow. She had large, roundish shaped clear eyes that almost looked green or grey-blue with a line brown around the outside and a beauty mark beside the left one. She had a refined nose that was straight and graceful like the rest of her. Her skin was fair and flawless. To Kat she was beautiful, but she looked like she knew it, too.

 

"Can I help you...?" She sneered in a bothered, hostile and diminishing voice like she had somewhere else to be. She looked like she might have been loading or unloading her ship, actually.

"I'm looking for someone." She said in a small voice, feeling intimidated by the woman. She was fit with a flat stomach and trim, lean muscles. She looked like she knew her way around a fght and could hold her own weight, especially with two pistols in holsters mid-thigh with a shotgun strapped to the back of her pants on her belt. Katerin was unarmed, but Suvinus wasn't. "I was told I could find someone in Monument with tattoos and... a Boston eye." She shook her head, confused by her own words. Kat didn't see her move in time, but even if she had she couldn't have gotten out of the way in time.

 

 

In one flash of movement, the woman's eyes widened at her response and she put her hand on Kat's neck, holding her tightly but not choking her to the pint she could gasp and get air. "Who the fuck are you?" She drawled in a slow, dangerous voice. Apparently Boston Eye was a trigger word. Maybe a password for something?

"I-I'm Kat. I, uh, I knew the Dogs of Omega!" She blurted, taking the chance.

"Oh." She released Kat who coughed and took a step back. Suvinus had a hand on Benoit's collar as he growled relentlessly, but Suvinus had a gun drawn and aimed at her. Surprisingly, no one on this end of the docks looked worried at all. Those who did notice didn't care. This place didn't seem reputable.

She seemed to relax a little in posture, but looked Katerin over like a piece of questionable meat. "I owned the Dogs. Why the fuck don't I know you?"

"The Dogs didn't stop just because you left. They're still taking on initiates, even here on the citadel." Suvinus piped in.

She looked him over and snarled, pulling her hand canon out of it's holster and letting it hang beside her in her hand. "I don't know who you are, but stay the fuck away from me. I don't fuck with military pawns, got it? I've seen you around before, O' High One, so I know you don't care about us in the underbelly of the citadel. But if you leak this, I'll end you." She growled.

"I don't really know or care who you are. I'm not interested in relaying this. AS far as I'm concerned, we'd have to shut down all of the docks to prevent people like you from showing up."Suvinus said.

"Good. Okay, sorry about that, kid. What do you want?" She crossed her arms and cocked a hip, impatient in her stance and expression.

"Well, I was wondering if I could maybe, you know, like... um..."

"She wants to leave the Citadel and is willing to pay." Suvinus said, putting a hand on Kat's shoulder in support.

"I could help, too! I have experience working on ships." She said.

"Chyeah." The woman said, shoving her hands in her pockets. "We can always use more hands." She was tough in stance despite her graceful, lean frame. She stood with her legs straight and shoulder width apart, back leaned out so her chest and stomach were curved. It was something Kat had never been able to do without feeling awkward or stiff, but this person seemed to do with it ease and grace and looked comfortable.

 

She noticed how the girl was only wearing two black straps attached to the front and back of her pants that ran up her torso on either side. From her suspenders was a piece of vinyl material with a honeycomb pattern in a dark blue shade, almost black. They were less than a hand's width and were connect to the suspenders, leaving the middle of her chest and back uncovered. The only thing that they really managed to cover where the outer sides of her breasts.

The insides probably would have simply fallen out if her breasts had been any larger. Luckily for her, she wasn't exactly well-endowed in the chest. Katerin was large compared to a lot of women but she felt overly busty standing near this woman. With her shirt barely covering anything, she was able to see her tattoos well. On the left side of her neck there was a computer chip where several wires extended off of it. She had an intricate, busy circuit board tattoos over her body. Even her hands were not saved from the circuits and their junction points. There were faint bones that traced over her hands.

 

In a midst of bones, computer themed tattoos and crosses were junction points and wires racing through. She was busy but her tattoos seemed like art, the greens of wires and the white of bones seemed to glow like screens. She was a dark mix of green, blue and purple with only the faintest touch of orange here and there for a wire or two. She had dragons lacing through works of ink, like her body was a beautiful canvas. Kat wasn't sure what to make of it, but it wasn't ugly. Somehow this woman seemed to make it work, like her tattoos were part of her but she was more than them.

 

On her forehead she had three wires. One came down to the bow int he bridge of her nose, just slightly below her eyebrows. The second was halfway from her hairline to the junction point on her nose and the third was half the length of the second. On the other side she had a wire that was by the end of her left eyebrow. Just behind the curtop of her ear in her hair was a tattoo of the Omega symbol with three fourths of a circle around it, wires extending off of it.

 

Ink'd over her breasts she had a larger wire that was about a finger's width that was straight across the top and had three wires extending down but not very far. She was surprised to see that two wires that broke off went diagonally and she imagined their junctions were on more... sensitive places. On the curved of her ribs was a wishbone like band that was dark red and stopped the tattoos on her stomach, excepts for the circuits. Out of her pants line were two curved line that followed her hipbones and resumed the flow of tattoos with he imagined spread over her legs as well. Even for as many tattoos as she had, she didn't look messy. Just...tattooed. But not messy.

 

"Wanna see the rest?" The woman said in her mature, husky voice. Kat was broken out of her trance, blushing when she realised she'd been staring. She also saw now that she had outstretched her arm, fingers spread wide but they'd gone unnoticed by the distracted girl.

"What?" She mumbled, embarrassed.

"My tattoos. You were staring so I offered." She shrugged.

"Oh, sorry." Katerin said as she took the woman's hand and was surprised by the single, firm shake. She was relieved that she had been so readily accepted as a passenger. She was so certain she'd have to spend a day looking for someone to take her on.

 

"Name's Bishop." She said, sticking her hand back in her pocket. "Sorry if I scared you shitless earlier. Well, not really." She shrugged and looked briefly to the ship behind her, gestuing almost with the turn of her body. "I'm Captain of this ship and you'll answer to me." She said.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Katerin Kelly." She replied, relaxing a bit. 'Katerin Kelly, the galaxy's biggest dunce' she thought to herself.

"Yeah. Grab some boxes and bring 'em in. We're leaving soon so get a move on."

"Okay." She chirped, bending down to grab one of the crates. It was heavy, quite so, and she had to wonder what was in it. She followed Bishop who had picked up her own box and was walking effortlessly inside, up the ramp and into the ship's boarding hall, stopped by the decontamination programme. The captain stood holding her box with a hip cocked while Katerin put her's down so she didn't tire too soon. It wasn't that she weak she just didn't get too much exercise. When the door opened Kat could tell it was a low end vessel. It was cramped and a bit boxy. It was a single room with a few doors branching off. There was one room with the doors open that showed the cockpit, but other than that she didn't imagine it held much else, at least not on the first level.

 

"Godammmit Xeeger! I told you to turn that fucking thing off." She snapped.

"I don't want to get diseased that you track in from whatever stranger you've invited into your deep roads." A quarian walked out of whatever room he was in before and crossed his arms. He wore light grey cloth pieces over his helmet with two rags of the same design, although white, hooped through his belt on either side. He was tall standing next to the two women, but whether he was average height for his race she couldn't' say.

"Hey!"

"Save it, Prince. I'm not turning the decontaminator off. It's necessary." He argued.

"It's not." She insisted.

"Well, you enjoy your STDs. I think I'll pass on having germs eat through my suit."

"Germs aren't the only thing you have to worry about." She said menacingly.

"What's that?" He asked, hands on his hips.

"Nothing, Xeeger." She said with cheek.

 

Kat left Benoit in the cargo hold where he couldn't touch anything. After they had finished bringing the crates into the storage area down on a flight of stairs on the bottom level of the ship, Bishop remained in the hold as Xeeger, who was apparently her pilot, flew the ship away from the Citadel. She had to wonder why the woman had so many tattoos and wore hardly anything. If there was any significance to them or if they were just what she had happened to take a liking to. If Kat ever got a tattoo... well, she couldn't even think of what she might get if she did. She thought about asking her why she had so many, but she didn't know if it was impolite and the woman didn't exactly have an approachable feel about her. Instead she stuck to a simple question.

 

"Is there anything you'd like me to do, ma'am?" Kat asked.

"You can help me sort through these crates. Just organize what's in here so I can get the name and count of everything." She said, still sitting atop one of the crates like it was a chair. Katerin began working, opening up one of the boxes and pulling these out, putting them in piles. In the pile there were four shotguns, three pistols and a box that contained a biotic amp.

"I don't see a brand on any of these things." She observed, turning the amp over in her hands.

"Give it to me." Bishop said, demonstrating her ability to pounce upon something and scuttled back onto her crate in the blink of an eye. "I've been waiting for this!"

"You're a biotic?" Kat asked

"I'm going to sell this, though. I have one myself so I know how they work and how much money I can get off of them." She said.

"So who makes them?" Katerin asked.

"Hmm? I don't know. Some guy on the Citadel makes them, that's why I was here. He's a fence."

"They're illegal?" She gasped. Bishop rolled her eyes at her response and muttered some insult she didn't want heard.

"Look kid, if you aren't comfortable with stretching the law a bit than you're shit out of luck." She said.

Kat shook her head quickly, still not comfortable with being left alone with her. But this ship and it's captain would be her only ticket to potential safety. "I'm not exactly in a position to discriminate."

"Good. I can still kick you off the ship." She said.

"But we've left the Citadel." Kat said, thinking perhaps the captain had forgotten.

"I know." She said flatly as she returned to counting the products that had been sorted. She laughed nervously until she saw the glint in the ship captain's eyes.

"You... wouldn't actually do that, right...?" Katerin asked, her laughter dying.

"We do have a hatch." Bishop said, glancing up at he before picking out one of the guns and connecting it to it's magazine. She laughed dryly. "You should see it. When people get space'd... it's too funny."

"Don't listen to her, lady Katerin. She's just being an ass." Xeeger's voice said over the intercom.

"Stop listening in!" Bishop shouted.

"I like to know what you're up to." He replied.

She nodded at Kat and winked. With a grin she said "So then you still listen in when I have company?" She held back a snicker.

"I never-" He sounded flabbergasted, a scoff cutting his sentence short. "Bishop, I know you're lying. I turn it off when you have... company."

"Whiskey would say otherwise." Bishop whistled. Kat wrinkled her nose and got back to completing her task so she wouldn't have to think about what kind of company the woman kept. What she did find herself doing when she was while sorting the boxes, as it was something that took very little thought, was trying to analyze the woman. She had tattoos which suggested she was strong and liked an edgy lifestyle. She wore dark, blood-red, glossy lipstick over her pouty lips. Red was a seductive color and from the comment and her clothing, she didn't seem one who was very modest. She had a foul mouth and was a captain of a ship with no other passengers. It was probable that she was a very independent person and from how touchy and... bitchy she seemed to be Kat would have assumed she didn't want anybody in her life.

 

While it wasn't large, it didn't seem like a ship someone simply took out for a spin. Most ships had a purpose but this one, aside from smuggling, didn't seem to. Maybe that was all they did, smuggle. Or... Kat gave a frightening thought. They were sitting in the cargo hold together now, the silence making her ears ring. She felt a bit light headed and worried, afraid even.

 

"Ma'am, are you... what exactly do you guys do?" Kat asked in a trembling voice, eyes almost as round as Bishop's.

"Xeeger and I?" She shrugged. "We're merchants."

"Merchants who sell stolen merchandise and strangle people they've just met?" Kat said stiffly. 

"Yep." She didn't even look at her when she spoke, still looking forward. Even her profile was beautiful. It made Kat, with no makeup and no tattoos, feel mundane and plain. She had caramel skin and complimentary hair, but she wasn't tough and confident like this woman was. Even aside from looks, Kat admired her. Although some of that was just a tinge of fear.

"Do you get all of this from the fence?" She asked, curious.

"Some." She answered curtly.

"And the rest?" Kat asked, throat, lips and mouth all dry.

Now she got a fierce look that told her to back down. Behind that pretty face was not a gentle woman. "Now you're asking too many questions. If you're smart, you'll keep your mouth shut or I'll finish what I started."

"Yes, ma'am." She said, feeling half like she should salute.

"You're only on here because I'm broke as shit and I need the creds. You're here by my will and my kindness. Shut your damned mouth and follow my orders and you'll make it to Omega. Don't screw me over." She pointed a finger at her. "Clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Kat nodded. They sat with a further established sense of Kat's position on the ship. She wasn't trying anything, but she had a feeling that the woman was more than she let on to be. She looked so familiar to her but she couldn't figure out why. Bishop lit a cigarette and puffed on it for a while, leaning her head against the wall.

"Here." Bishop said, offering it to her.

"Oh, no. Thank you." Kat said, putting her hands up. Bishop shrugged and gave up. It wasn't long before Katerin found her gaze trailing over her markings again.

"What do yout tattoos mean?" Kat asked after a while of studying their busy path.

"It's personal." She said softly under her breath. She didn't see how the slew of tattoos she had could be personal, but maybe she just didn't understand it. Maybe she just didn't feel like talking. It wasn't much longer before Kat had fallen asleep on the floor, slumping over to the side in front of the door. It didn't phase Bishop who simply stepped over her body and let her spend the night there.

In Katerin's dreams she was with her family again back on Polius. Her father was congratulating her on designing new technology that had given them the answer to their search. Rhiannon had sight and embraced her alongside her mother. It was something she had always wanted from her. Affection, but she'd never gotten it and now it was too late. Her mother with her soft brown hair, tan skin and amber eyes. It was strange that Katerin looked so much like her mother while Rhiannon didn't look like either. She had pale skin and black hair. Their father had dark brown hair, blue eyes and moderately tan skin, though not like Kat or her mother. Kat's dreams ended and she had tears in her eyes and someone's foot against her back, shaking her awake.

 

"Get up, kid. There's no crying on my ship." Bishop said. Her voice was always so cold, even now. "Actually, while you're at it, get the fuck off my ship." She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder.

"Why? Where are we?" She asked, a bit worried that the captain had decided to boot her off the ship after all. 

"Omega."

"We're here already." Kat raised her brow. It wasn't as far as she'd thought. Or at least it didn't take as long to get there. She stood up and stretched out her muscles, stiff and uncomfortable from having slept on the floor the night.

"Yep." She said, hand in her pockets as usual. Today she had on a bright orange jacket with fleece interior and small, red lettering on one side, running alongside the zipper. She tried to read it but it was just numbering. On her back there was a good bit of faint blue lettering that said 'blue' with some being more opaque than others as well as larger. She now had her two pistols on her thighs with her cargo pants bunched around the leather straps, shotgun strapped to her hip. She had a knife strapped to one of her boots' buckles, one of which being a sheath. Underneath the buckles on the left boot, the one without a knife, were white cloth wrappings like bandages. The end was frayed, but it didn't appear to be coming undone any. Where Kat's boots only came a few inches above her ankles, Bishop's heavy combat boots had many buckles and were to her knees.

 

Katerin was assisting Bishop in unloading the ship. They had transported them to a warehouse across the docking bay. She was also there when Bishop made her deals, calling up her contacts. The first man to come was large and burly and hauled the box of guns and ammunition away. The next several people were there for the drugs she had. Somehow, likely while she was sleeping, they'd ended up inside of Katerin's rucksack. She'd tried to act calm while Bishop fished them out, as she was in the presence of not only a thief but the people she was selling drugs to. She knew if she messed anything up than she'd have to face Bishop's wrath and that was something she wasn't looking forward to. Bishop had more guns, biotics and she had this air about her that said she could hurt you, yet at a first glance she seemed graceful and elegant, capable. Of course, her ink gave away that she was more than she appeared.

 

Bishop made her deals and emptied Kat's rucksack of drugs. She still had a cold sweat, inwardly panicking about her not knowing or that Bishop had actually done it. It was on another scale of fright and audacity to put drugs into someone else's rucksack and it was another to do it without their knowledge or consent. Of course, if she had asked Kat wouldn't have agreed to it, but Bishop didn't look like the kind of woman who would take no as an answer. Rather if she did she would take you out to get it done herself like she had done all of the deals herself. She at first wondered why they had been so easily looked over. No one asked them if they had a right to be in the warehouse. Well, no one of principle even seemed to be around to ask them. There were street thugs, looters, generally grimy looking people there so she didn't expect them to ask, but surely there was someone in charge of the docks?

 

Bishop was sitting on top of one of the boxes that had been there before, smoking. Every puff she took she left more and more red stains on the cigarette from her glossy lips until it was almost as dark and painted as that on her lips. She was disappointed when she finished the first one, stamping it out on the ground as she stood up. It was about five minutes after the last deal and she began to pace. She seemed dazed, bored and she didn't stop pacing until she came to kneel in front of Kat. She pulled out one cigarette and stuck it behind her ear.

"Alright, kid. You say you know the Dogs?" Kat nodded hesitantly. "Show me your wrist." Kat handed over her hands, unsure of which one she wanted, and the woman scoffed. "Ya knew 'em, but weren't initiated, that it?"

"I knew some of them, yeah." She shrugged, feeling a bit regretful of ever having decided to board the ship.

"Mmm. I don't doubt it, they were never discreet." She said. "Weren't supposed to be. You know, if you want work, the Dogs are more mercantile nowadays. I'm sure they'd take you in."

"Oh, um..." Kat paused and thought. She could use work and she knew how to use a gun. She was also good with machines, not that being a mechanic really sounded like a lot of good to her. "I don't really want to be a merc, though. It seems... unhealthy?"

"It's not all shooting guys." She said. "There's a lot of running routine check-ups, getting information, making 'deliveries' or just being hired muscle. You gotta look tough but you don't always have to put a round in someone."

"Well, that doesn't sound bad." Kat said. This was Omega, after all. It did have a reputation for excitement and criminal life. If Kat wanted to have friends on this station she might have to do something a bit dangerous. Friends that could help her against the people who were after her would be good and Kat was looking for protection.

"Or, there's always a good business for prostitution." Bishop smiled and shrugged.

Kat felt a sickening plunge in her stomach and she once again visited the desire to see the end of this woman and this place."You've been around, haven't you?" Kat asked before she tohught about what she had actually said. Bishop paused, caught off guard.

She looked her over and then said "If I were someone else that would've ticked me off, but I don't give a fuck. To answer your question, yeah. I get what I want and who I want." She said. 

 

 

 

Bishop slunk back up to her box like a panther up a tree dragging it's bloody, lifeless prey onto a branch. "So what are you gonna do after this?"

"I don't know. I don't have anywhere to go and no family." Kat spoke partially truthfully. Marcus was still with her, but she'd left him behind.

"I know what that's like. It kills." Bishop said without sympathy.

"You lost your family?" She asked, feeling a bit... at home. A common thing between them naturally made her interested and for some reason, though the woman didn't seem to want her company, made her feel something. Familiarity. Something about her she'd seen in someone else. Her eyes held something for her that Kat could see. It was like her hardened, impenetrable exterior had a shadow or a brief window od emotion in her eyes. However, she didn't show much.

"I did. My dad ran out on us when I was born and my mom would call him and beg him to come see me almost with as much desperation as I did to her." She said, her voice dead. "I was an only child, so when I went to jail for six years I left my mom alone. Didn't get to say goodbye. Not that it matters." There as a tiouch of humanity in those crystal clear eyes of hers.

"Oh. My mom and dad were on Polius... one of the Podratin planets." She said. Bishop looked over at her, holding her cigarette down and looking knowingly at her. She understood what it meant to have been on Polius. "My sister... burned. I was there when it happened." She shuddered. She didn't want to hink about it. That she didn't save her sister. 

"I knew a girl once who died that way. Except that it was kind of reverse."

"How do you mean?" Kat asked.

"Well, her sister was the one who started the fire." She said, flicking the end of her smoke in a way that almost seemed to mock the fire hazard.

"That's terrible!" Kat cried, astounded that someone could actually kill their own family and in such a horrible way. "Why would she do that?"

"Drugs." She said. Katerin frowned sadly and tried to forget the conversation. It made her think of her own siblings. She'd left one behind without saying goodbye and then let the other down. Well, she'd probably let both of them down.

"So what did you do, kid?" Bishop asked, looking over at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you hired me to take you off the citadel without asking who I was and you watched me sell Hova out of your backpack without questioning me. Most people would have freaked out. So what did you do?" She asked, raising her brow and pulling a tubular flask out of her jacket.

"Guess." Kat didn't really have an answer so if she could come up with something...

"I don't ask if I'm going to guess. What the fuck did you do?" Bishop wouldn't have gotten an answer anyway, but she didn't even get the chance. The lights in the warehouse switched out and plunged them into darkness, the only light coming from the windows which were rapidly closing, shutters falling down across them. "Did you sell me out?"

"I didn't, I swear!" Kat said. "I don't know what's going on.

 

 

"Where are you, you murdering bitch?" Someone's voice called from somewhere inside the building.

"Shit!" Bishop spat. She ducked down behind one of the crates as two men and two women rushed inside the room. She pulled her weapon of choice off of her hip, pumping her shotgun. Kat crouched behind one as well, though she only kept her hand on her gun. She knew who they were. It was the Alliance and she wasn't fancying a charge against her. "Xeeger, see if you can get the doors on the warehouse back open." Bishop whispered into her headset. Meanwhile, she handed a pistol to Kat and left her to her own devices.

"I can't Bishop. There's someone else in the system and there's a bomb set to go off if I try and reopen the shutters and doors. I can get the light's back on, but I can't hep you." Xeeger said in a panic. He continued speaking and gave a further explanation, but Kat couldn't hear the rest. As he said, the lights came back on but she didn't know where the enemy was.

She frowned, her brow knitting together. "Then blow it the fuck up." She enunciated without any whim in her voice, obviously determined not to loose to the Alliance. "Don't worry about me. I'll make it out. Get the Victoriella out of here and blow this warehouse to hell."

"What?" Kat hissed, looking at the captain of the ship. "We can't just blow it up!"

"Do you have a better plan?" Bishop remarked, aiming he gun at one of the Alliance soldiers and firing. Someone cried out meaning it hit.

"Maggie!" There was a dragging noise following the name and then they fired a shot at Bishop in return.

"If I did have a plan it would involve living!" Kat said after a moment. She aimed her pistol at one of the men, but she hesitated and it was what they needed to shoot at her and graze the skin on her shoulder. It was nothing more than a surface wound, a scratch that was beginning to bleed. Thank the maker he was such a poor shot.

"Surrender and we won't do any harm." One of the soldiers shouted to them.

"Yeah, fuck you." Bishop sun in a low voice, peering around the corner of the crate. Seh shot at the captain of the Monument, hitting his lower leg. He groaned, but with a quick shot he managed to land a bullet in her forearm. Bishop muttered profanities as her arm went limp with a crackling, buzzing noise. Electricity rolled over her arm and Kat tried to place if it was from the bullet or not. She tried to pull her shotgun out of her hand, but her fingers were stuck in a certain position. She swore loudly and gave up, putting her fingers to her headset, glancing at Kat before taking a deep breath. "Now!" She said. Not seconds later there was a loud, booming noise like thunder and orange and white light all around her.

 

 

 

Kat couldn't make sense of anything that was going on until she stopped tumbling. She felt somethign warm running throuhg her eyes, a pounding sensation in her head and pain like cuts and bruises all over her body. She groaned as she sat up, the breath knocked out of her. She forced herself to sit up but it was as thugh the world arond her was spinning and ringing and she was fighting to stay conscious. She was some thrity to forty feet away from where she had been, but she couldn't judge anything very well. She only saw the remnants of the building where there was fire, soot and collapsed walls with pieces still standing. The rubble was stil smoldering from the blast as she stood up, feeling sore and broken. She walked stiffly to where she saw one body, falling to her knees and rolling the figure over to see it was Bishop. One of her arms was missing from halfway from her forearm while one of her legs was missing a good chunk, but when she looked, there was no blood. Only wires, a computer. That was why Bishop's fingers had gotten stuck on her gun, locked in place. She looked to her missing arm agains and saw that there were cables and wires hanging out of it. Bishop was still, her knees bent and her form awkward, motionless. She shook her and there was no movement.

 

"Don't try, Kat. She's out cold. Hit her head." Someone said from behind her He had a scottish accent, a marine from Earth it seemed. The soldier's lip was busted, blooding trickling over his chin. He had scartches in his armor, a few cuts on his forehead but otherwise fine. Bishop had cuts and gashes over her body but she wasn't bleeding anywhere that Kat could yet see, likely because none of the damage she'd taken were in places she hadn't lost before.

"Where's Maggie? Is she okay?" Kat asked after a moment. She'd met Maggie before, but she'd heard him call out her name when she'd been shot. She met his gaze, standing up slowly, so as not to spook him or give him any reason to take action.

"You don't really care. You wouldn't have been shooting at us if you did."

"You're right. I don't." Kat said. She rolled forward, her path directed between his lgs. She caught him off guard and managed to be behind him when she came to her feet. She pulled a leg out from underneath him before he could react. When he fel she rushed forward and grabbed Bishop's arm, hooking an elbow under them. She took one of Bihsop's pistol as she no longer had her's, aiming at the soldier as she stumbled backwards. He shot, but so did she. He had to duck and she almost didn't miss. 

 

"I don't want to do this!" She said honestly, She pulled Bishop behind a support beam and caught her breath, still shaking from the explosion.

"Then don't and turn yourself in!" The soldier replied.

 

Kat grabbed Bishop's shoulders and tried to move her but she slipped through her hands. She balled her fists in Bishop's jacket and hauled back, her muscles quivering. Wth much struggle she was able to get her moving, putting all her energy and strength into moving her. She must have weighed over than two hundred mounds. She didn't see how it was really possible. Bishop was muscular, but not to the point of being bulky. She was lean and trim, so where did all the weight come from?

 

Kat chewed her tongue and dragged Bishop slowly away, down a set of stairs to her left. Below them was a marketplace, but she saw an elevator. She didn't know where she was going to go, but she had to get them both out of there. It was much easier pulling Bishop's limp body down the stairs, but Guppy was free of a burden. She swallowed and took her chances of causing real damage, diring a shot at his gun. She sighed with relief when it blasted his weapon out of his hand. It startled him and gave Kat the chance to muser her strength and haul Bishop like an ox toward the lift.

 

She hadn't realised how far it was until she saw she didn't have much time to make it before she was caught. She pulled Bishop up, slinging her over her shoulders and shuffling with as much speed as she could manage to the lift, literally dropping her body into the elevator as she punched one o the buttons. It was taking her to the lowest level of Omega which wasn't too terribly far, but it was enough. She pressed another button that would take them to the top, just because she needed time to think to think and she didn't want to be caught. With a sigh, she slumped down against the wall next to Bishop's body and let her head hit the wall.

 

Finally, Bishop woke up, looking over at Kat with a groggy expression. She had a gash on her eyebrow and it was obvious to her now that one of her piercings had been ripped out. She had a good bit of ash on her clothing but other than her prosthetics Kat couldn't see any wounds.

 

"Well, I haven't been tranquilized, not in cuffs. Are we free for the moment?" Bishop wheezed, clutching at her stomach painfully.

"For now."

"I would change my tone were I you." An electronic, musical voice played over the speaker and the lift stopped. Kat immediately recognised the voice as the one belonging to Virus, back on the Citadel. "The Alliance needs both of you and for one of you, you won't have any say in the matter. It's live... or die." The tune of an almost eery, childlike song played and the words 'Pure be white, black be night. Lost be the fight if we give in to spite' could be heard.

 

"The fuck?" Bishop mumbled, pushing herself up a bit with the only working arm she had. The music played for about fifteen or twenty minuted as Kat tried o figure how to open the doors desperately, noticing how sick Bishop was starting to look and the blood that was trickling off of her body onto the ground. She'd almost given up before the doors opened themselves. Across from them stood a captain with blood leaking out of his bullet wound. Behind him a redhead had her arm draped over the shoulder of the marine she had encountered earlier looking pale and weak with her arm over her stomach. It was Maggie, the one who'd escorted her off of the Alliance vessel.

 

"If only'd you had listened, Prince." A tall man with grey hair and a thin, stoic face said. A lieutenant started to walk forward, but Bishop's left hand began to glow with mass effect fields. She recognized the woman from the Alliance ship that had rescued her.

"Stay back, Alliance bitch!" She growled. The blonde lieutenant and the others stepped out of the way as a blue ball of mass whirled past them. The marine rounded the corner of the elevator and fired a metal syringe-like dart at Bishop's neck. It landed and injected upon contact. Bishop gave a weak, shattered cry of anger and muttererd something before she relaxed and crumpled into a pile with a thud. Her breathing was slow and methodical, but her skin was pale and flushed and it didn't look good. She was also missing a few limbs, so she was primarily out of order.

 

"Biotics." The marine muttered as she stepped insde, putting handcuffs around Kat's hands first without difficulty or fight from Kat. Actually, Kat had simply put her hands up in surrender with wide, terrified eyes. She then cuffed Bishop and pulled her up, hooking her legs over her arm and the other supporting her shoulders, more or less. Kat hadn't been able to really carry her one way or the other but the marine was stronger than she was, but she wouldn't be able to support her for long.

What Kat hadn't noticed because she'd been preoccupied with saving her and Bishop asses was that they were back on the level she'd thought they'd left. They were still on the docks where the warehouse had been exploded. It was also where the was docked. It didn't take them long to reach the ship where the lieutenant dropped Bishop in the conference room as well as ushered Kat inside.

 

 

 

"So, Katerin Kelly." The captain said as he took a seat behind his desk. The scott took the redhead Bishop had shot to the infirmary and left the captain and the lietenant to deal with Kat and Bishop.

"Where's Benoit?" She blurted before anyone could get a word in.

"I'm sorry, Benoit?" The cpatain raised a brow.

"My dog. He's tall, Great Dane, brown, he drools a lot." She had wide eyes and she was starting to feel her stomach tighten and churn.

"We'll send a small team out to look for your dog." He said. Kat nodded and he cleared his throat. She settled back and curled her fingers around each other nervously. The captain took a breath and said, "We rescued you from Polius and set you free without hesitation and you break the law by teaming up with The Prince?" He scowled and shook his head.

"The Prince?" Kat asked with deep confusion. "She is a woman... Right?"

"And her title is The Prince. She's a space pirate." The lieutenant said. "Did your shitty little planet not learn that?"

"Lieutenant." The captain warned her for her language and harsh tongue.

"I've heard of her, but I've never seen her and I don't know what she did." Kat said. "Sorry. Don't follow the news much."

"Here. Read this while we wait for her to wake up. Hopefully she won't until sometime later." The lieutenant said. She tossed a file down to where Kat was sitting with her legs under her on the floor. She opened the folder to see a mug shot of Bishop. Kat glanced over at the real thing, seeing the difference in her ages, but also in her bleeging wounds and paled skin.

 

"My God! She's bleeding! You have to help her." Kat said, waving a hand in the direction of the bleedng woman. She might have been a pirate like they said, but they couldn't just watch her die.

"Hanna, take The Prince to the med bay and get her handled. I can't have her dying before we talk to her." The captain said.

"Yessir." The blonde said, saluting first and then grabbing Bishop and picking her up with an arm tucked under legs and back to support her. Her head lolled to the side and she could see blood trickle out of her mouth. She was still unconcsious, but Kat wondered if it was from the tranquilizer or if she'd have passed out from blood loss and shock anyway.

"You go, too. Get your head stitched up when she's been dealt with."

 

 

Apparently, the High-Commander and the Low-Captain Ladaran were both on board the ship as well. She'd not yet questioned it fully, b ut Suvinus had mentioned that he'd not planned on seeing her after she left. Ladaran was standing outside the room, helmet on and hands behind his back. Suvinus had decided to see for himself the apparently notorius menace.

 

Bishop was set down on the table, the marine less than gently setting her down. She didn't sem to care that the woman was bleeding and wounded, just that she was a horrible piece of scum no one should have worried about in the first place. Bishop had been in and out of consciousness and had woken up just before reaching the med bay. Bishop's skin was pale and clammy and even when the pirate was being persistent or angry, she was too weak to really put any force behind her words. She slurred like she was half awake- or half alive.

"Here, Red Len. She's useless if she's dead." Hanna spat.

"Captain's orders, princess." Bishop flashed her a cheeky, sarcastic smile. "I think we're going to have fun." She chuckled deviously and Hanna whirled around, leaving the room before she said anything in return. "Bitch."

"Why do they always dump these things on me, dammit? I'm a doctor, not an engineer." The doctor gruffed as Bishop was layed down on the table.

"I am." Kat said. "I could take a look."

"You have thirteen pieces of glass in your hands alone and five lacerations that needed stitches. She's half machine and only needs medical attentions because the captain wishes it." The woman said, tucking back a vibrant scarlett strand of hair. 

 

"Dammit! I'm not okay!" Bishop insisted, her eyes squeezed shut and the corners of her lips pulled down in a frown. "I'm bleeding out. And my stomach fucking hurts." She griped through a clenched jaw, gripping at her stomach painfully.

Suvinus made his own point by observing her wounds and reactions, how she was pained by her adbomen. As he was turning her face with his chin, she moved away and vomitted blood. "Look at how much blood she's lost. She looks-" Bishop's eyes fluttered shut and she fell back, rolling off the table and hitting the ground with a crash. "-faint." Suvinus grumbled.

"Oh, shit." Red Len hissed, kneeling down beside her and pulling her up and situating her on the table once more. She removed her jacket and top to see that she had a wound on her side that was seeping blood. Her jacket was soaked and so were her pants.

"High-Commander, lend me a hand. I need her boots removed and her pants. And I don't care about being a modest gentleman." Red Len said.

"Of course." He said, startled by her fierce deamands. He bent down, puling at her zippers and tugging on her trousers. Everything she wore had tears including her pants which ripped a bit at his first attempts to remove them. Finally, though, they slid off of her legs. Suvinus turned away despite the doctors comment. He didn't look at either conscious woman, but instead looked at the floor or occaisonally at Bishop's bloody wounds.

 

She had a huge gash on her side, her upper lip had split, her eyebrow piercings had been torn messily out and of course her one arm had been blown off while part of her thigh had a hole in it. Suvinus was directed in assisting the doctor in wrapping her wounds after thorough cleaning. Bishop was given fluids through an IV as well as a few stitches herself and a hospital gown to wear. She wouldn't be happy when she woke up, but she'd be in no place to complain.

 

"Why didn't anyone notice she was bleeding out? Her clothes are soaked." Red Len jeered, shaking her head demeaningly. For the soft spoken, mild mannered portrayel she had when Kat had first met her she was certainly not so calm and docile. She pulled over a table and stopped it beside the bed. She used a syringe to transfer a fluid to Bishop's arm, injecting it into her veins. She reached her hand up and pulled the arm of a machine over, moving the head down and pressing in a button. "Kill the lights." She said. Once the room was dark, she pressed in a button that shone with black light like particles scanning and drifting over Bishop's limp body. She looked eerily dead and still. Red Len sighed and shook her head, focusing the particle scanner on her abdomen.

 

 

"What's wrong, doctor?" Suvinus asked, sensing the tension and worry.

"She suffered a blow to the stomach in the explosion. She has renal trauma. But what I'm seeing in the scan... See for yourself. You tell me what's wrong here." She said, angling the screen so Katerin and Suvinus could view it.

"She's missing a kidney and her spleen. And a lung?" Kat said. "Why?"

Red Len shrugged. "Organ failure? If she drinks as much as he does it wouldn't be surprising." She directed her frown at Suvinus and continued. "She could have had a ruptered spleen from taking a blow to the stomach when she was in prison."

Kat was reminded of the horror stories about organ theft. "I think they were harvested."

"Who would take someone's organs and not kill them? You'd get more for two lungs, two kidneys, a heart and a spleen. A cadaver doesn't need it's heart or liver. Who only takes three of those? It's not at all practical. If I were going to take someone's innards I'd take it all."

"Remind me not to get injured around you." Suvinus said sarcastically. "Maybe she had to have them removed."

"I don't think so. Unless she has shit for organs." Red Len said. "She'll need an IV and lots of rest and recovery. No stress, moving about or physical exertion. Just recovery. If she loses this one she'll die. Luckily it's not that serious, which is pretty impressive considering how unstable she was."

"Oh, that's great. We'll go give the captian the good news." Suvinus said. She was beginning to think that what came out of his mouth should have just immediately been heard as the opposite. If he was ever serious she'd have to celebrate and take a picture.

"Go find my nurses and get Kelly stitched up." Red Len said and began moving about the room to grab different bottles. Bishop was given an IV and medicines and the doctor felt her stomach.

"Stay there, Kt." He said and left the room. He came back with a man who promptly stiched up Katerin's lacerations and wrapped her hands. They then went on their way and left the doctor's assistants to aid her in returning Bishop's health to her.

 

 

Katerin was then brought back to the conference room and sat down in a chair from the table that stood out from the captain's desk. Now, the lieutenant was leaned against a wall, arms crossed and a permanent scowl on her face. A curly haired man with blue eyes and pale skin stood with Suvinus and Ladaran. The captain was seated at his desk, waiting for her.

 

"Am I... am I introuble with you guys? For leaving the Citadel? I didn't know she was a pirate." Kat said. She was nervous, anxiety starting to pile up in her chest and smother her lungs. Kat was easily scared and easily made uncomfortable.

"You were seen selling drugs. You just so happened to be selling drugs with The Prince. How do you know her?" The captain asked, not skipping any corners and getting to the reason why she was on board an Alliance ship for reasons besides being rescued.

"I told you, I just wanted to leave the citadel. I didn't know! I've never met her before." She insisted.

"She's covered in ink, she smokes, drinks, sells drugs and she packs heat. What about her sounds trustworthy?" The blonde marine snapped.

"Lieutenant." The captain said, raising his brow at her as though a single flicer in his facial presence could put her back in her place of respect and in a passive state.

"I just wanted to go away. How was I supposed to know she was a pirate?"

"By watching any news station from the past seven years?" The lieutenant said, crossing her arms. "She's number four on the Godiva Ten."

"I don't watch a lot of news. I mean, I'd heard the name but I dind't go up to her and say, 'Hey, female badass who looks like she could kill me with a papssing glance, you wouldn't happen to be a gangster would you?' She might have taken offense to that."

"Sounds like a good conversation starter to me." Suvinus commented.

"Be more careful in the company you choose. Kelly, was it?" The captain asked.

"Yes, sir. Katerin Kelly." She nodded.

"Captain Banks." HE said, nodding at her respectfully though he must have been thinking she was a stupid girl. HE took a breath and looked at Hanna who straightened and puffed out her chest, maybe trying to look even taller and really just ensure that she looked as though she were made of bricks, malice and bravery sealed together with 100% real Alliance spirit. "You were on the Citadel when an organization called 767-DEL arrived. Do you rememebr them?"

"No?" Kat asked. "Unless they're the people who posibly tried to kill me and my friends which is ridicul- oh, they are, aren't they?" She frowned, sighing. "Ohh..."

"767-DEL is a pro-human group that studies genetic mutations and perfection. They work to alter genes of other species for reasons we dont' yet know. They are also fond of the idea of eternal youth, one essaence living on in different shells or bodies. Recently, some of the humans they've experimented on have escaped." He said.

"These runaways are linked to the outbreaks of Podratin." The lieutenant said, holding her hands behind her back, clasped together. "It is out assumption that they released the chemical and destroyed their facilities in order to keep any more of these riots from happening. Most of the escapees have been killed already. But, some are still alive. 767 is doing everything in their power to get them back."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kat asked, curious as to why a civilian like herself would be- or needed to be- included in Alliance affairs.

"Well, did you ever wonder why you had trouble remembering the attack on Polius, Kat?" Suvinus asked.

She turned around to look at him. "Please don't tell me..."

"767 has been experimenting on chimerism in humans, as well. We... dont' kno why yet, but it's a guess that they've manipulated the subjects in a way that allows the genetics from the absorbed twin to expand in the mind. That way, it's like there are two people in only the one body. For instance, would you say her personality has been the same?" The lieutenant said, turning her attention to Suvinus.

"There were times where she's been sweet, skittish and optimistic. Then she'd be more outgoing, she liked to go to parties and clubs. Sometimes she liked binging on liqour and brownies and she was always at the shooting range." He said.

"See?" The liuetenant said, raising her brow.

"There are two of me? So I have split personality?" Her voice was pitched and quiet, alarmed. "But I remember doing all of that... I never felt..." She scoffed. "It's still me."

"Close. This isn't just a character or a mindset you've created for yourself. You are the host for you, the primary life, and the personality of what would have been your identical twin." The Captain said.

"That's so invasive! And kind of gross." Kat said, scrunching up her nose. "How can that be possible, anyway?" She would have doubted it, but everyone here looked so serious and the military wouldn't lie to her. Not after they took her and a criminal into custody. That or they were just playing a really sick joke.

"Through a science we don't understand. They've been doing this for years in secret. They had a cover of treating illnesses like cancer, aids, hepatitis. Never living experiments on unwilling hosts."

"Who are the other escapees? I'm one of them?" She asked. She would have hoped to have found out from someone besides these people that she was a chimera. Her mother had mentinoed before that she and Rhiannon were intended to be twins, but with Kat the other was absorbed. With her sister, her mother had never said. Kat had always assumed it had just been a mistake.

"You, Jaimes Wolf, Jonah, your sister to name a few."

"Rhiannon?" She asked, her eyes growing wide with surprise. "Mother never said... is this really true?" She was having a hard time believing any of this, yet she knew it had to be the truth. The military wouldn't lie to her like this. What reason would they have to cook up something like this?

"Yes. Your mother was one of the top scientists was she not?" The captain asked, using her to make his point. Maybe it was to help her to trust their word. After all, if what she knew and said tied in with what they claimed, she was much more likely to see the plausability in it.

"Yes, of course." She nodded.

"Did she ever talk about her work?"

"She only ever said that the time for them to prevail and have success was close. Sometimes she'd talk to my father about it, but always behind closed doors. She said they were testig out new theories and that someday there would be paradise in the galaxy for humanity. Something about immortality, but it ws just a euphamism."

"And your parents were against other races?" The captain asked.

she blushed and looked down. She was hesitant to answer, feeling embarassed not just because there were aliens in the room, but because she was open minded. She didn't care about aliens, though some of them mad her very uncomfortable, like batarians, and some just outright terrified her, like elcor. "... Yeah. It was probably a good thing that there weren't ever many aliens on Polius."

"Jessica Kelly is one of 767-DELs higher-upps. She's one of six top scientists. She helped to administer the progress and contributed to the process of cloning, genetic altercations and exploiting chimerism." The captain said.

"No, I- That can't be true." Kat said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but you've got a lot wrong about my mother. I didn't know her very well and I know she wasn't always a nice person, but she wasn't evil. She wouldn't do that."

"I know this is a lot to take in, Kat, but it's true. Ladaran and I have been working with Operation Del for a few years now. I've seen some of their work first hand. You're valuable to them and they want you back. You were one of their succesful projects. It's not coincidence I met you; Ladaran alerted me when we got word you were on the Citadel,so it was my job to keep an eye on you."

"Huh." She thought over that a moment but then shook her head. "What project is that?" She asked.

"That's what we want to know. They're a terrorist organization and they need to be stopped; They're dangerous and inhumane." Banks said.

 

 

 

He stood up and nodded to his compant. Suvinus stayed behind with Katerin as if he had been designated as her caretaker and was in charge of keeping track of her. Ladaran, the curly haired marine and the lieutenant left without word, though the lieutenant signed her respect with a proper salute. She seemed very... stiff.

"Katerin, for your own safety and for reasons of our own, we would like to welcome you to our team."

"Team?"

"You will be trained in marksmanship, survival techniques and hand to hand combat fighting. You can talk to the lieutenant if you have questions."

"Hell yeah, I have questions!" She burst with ire in her voice, directed at the captain of the ship and not undersevedly. She didn't have any training nor did she think she really wanted any and she certainly didn't want to be a part of a team. "A team of what for what? At least tell me where the lieutenant is!"

"Suvinus, did Red Len figure out what's wrong with our Prince?" Captain Banks asked, ignoring the sputtering girl in his conference room.

"Yeah," He said slowly ."She's got kidney damage. She'll be laid up for at least thirty days."

"Dammit. This couldn't get any worse." The captain said, shifting and folding his hands together before him, looking down and shaking his head dreadfully.

"No, of course not. What are the chances of her only having one lung and one kidney and no spleen. It'd be bad if she lost this one, then, huh? No more gangs for her." Suvinus gave a shrug to add to his bitter sense of humor.

"We've got bigger problems than Six right now, but she's an asset. We could use her." The captain said.

"I'm sorry, Six?" He asked. Apparently he didn't get the name, either.

"663096. It's her inmate number."

"Wait..." Kat paused, taken aback by his response. "Are you- You've got to be kidding me! Jonah said that number belonged to a friend of his."

"So this 'Jonah' knew The Prince?" The captan was suddenly high of interest, possibly thinking that she just flocked to the woman since she was already suspected of dealing drugs with her. Well, that was deserved and she didn't blame them for thinking that, really.

"I guess so. I didn't ask about it." She said. She looked to Suvinus but he shook his head and shrugged unknowingly.

"Ms. Kelly, why don't you go speak with the lieutenant and get to know the team, hmm? Your training will start tomorrow." Banks said, nodding to them both. "And High-Commander- Keep an eye on the Prince until Ensign Page is well."

"Yes, sir." He all but shoved Kat complaining all the way until they got to the elevator in the mail hall outside of the conference room. It seemed to be located in the room just behind the control center. They'd have the galaxy map and the cockpit there, if the cockpit wasn't actually a level above it. As Suvinus touched the buttons on the panel behind them, Katerin got a look at the levels, however, the vessel was a standard size for the Alliance was large and well-equipped to be a floating Navy base. 

Suvinus noticed she was trying to get a feel of her way around the ship and saved her the time by telling her that she'd be spending most of her time on levels two and three. Two had the mess hall, med bay and primary crew quarters. Three had training from riflery to hand to hand to survival tactics as well as secondary crew quarters as well as engineering and the cargo hold. Then, of course, across from all levels were elevators to take them to the engine room, but she'd really have no need or desire to be there.

 

 

When the elveator stopped at the third level Kat made a guess that the uptight seeming lieutenant would be training somewhere. Riflery or self defense, but Kat's bet was on riflery. She was proved right when Suvinus opened the door to the shooting range and the lieutenant was there one up'ing a private. She fired a few shts down the range and then fussed at the man and pointed out his flaws. She diverted her gaze to Katerin but she never once stopped laying into the private who looked confused and worried. Finally, when the boy was red faced and looking guilty, she dropped the magazine from the gun and shoved both pieces into the man's chest while walking over to them.

 

"Here to test your skill or ask questions?" She said, standing with her hand on her hip and a cocky, snarky look on her face as she looked down at her. She looked like she was about a hand or more taller than Katerin. She looked like she was about five feet nine inches or possibly ten. Katerin was poor at guessing height, but she dind't have to. The woman's stern, cold gaze and formidable, "made of stone" attitude was enough to make her feel intimidated under her icy grey eyes and dissapporving frown.

"Questions, though I do kinda feel like shooting something." She said, making a face.

The lieutenant huffed and grabbed a gun from off the wall, a hand gun, and aimed for a target, firing well enough. Perhas not perfectly, bu all of her shots were within inches of the center if not on the center. "Speak."

"Well, um, why am I on a 'team?'" She asked.

"I thought that was already explained?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at her. Her features were unique; Almost wide, cat like lips that were in a frown, yet the corners still played upwards and high cheekbones with an authoratative stoney grey stare. Her nose was average, but well defined like most of her features. She turned back to shooting and said blandly, "You are a chimera. DEL wants you so we want you. It's for your own good- and ours."

"What about triaining? I don't know what I'm supposed to bring to the table." She said.

"We've got fighters, Katerin. What we need are the elite, tough, fortified best. If you are not that best than you're useless." She said. "But, we also need brains. You've got skill with machinery and your mother is a top scientist for the enemy. That alone makes you useful."

"So I'll just... what? Fix your ship? I'm not Alliance." She said. Katerin wanted to go home, not play mechanic for the military.

"No. You'll get training and help us take down DEL. They train their successful subjects, but they inject them with Podratin so they don't remember their training until they're in that situation." She said. "Ever been in fight?"

"No. I mean, yeah, but I've never used a gun or anything. I've gotten into a few fist fights back home but after... nothing major. After I moved to the Citadel the only time I was ever in a fight I was on the wrong end of the gun." She said, feeling a bit pathetic when she said it. She was on an Alliance ship where everyone here had guns and knew how to use them.

She made a noise of discontempt. "If you were confronted, what do you think you would do?"

"Umm... try to diplomatically work my way out-" Katerin didn't expect to nearly be punched by the Lieutenant, but when her fist came toward her, Katerin trusted her instinct and dodged. When she got the chance, she grabbed her by the wrist and yanked forward. When the blonde was jerked and put off balance, Katerin twisted her am back behind her and gripped her thumb, holding it down so she couldn't get away.

"Very good." She groaned, wincing. "But that's not exactly diplomatic, Kelly." She let her go and the lieutenant brushed herself off and placed both hands on her hips again, smiling. "I'm sure you've been told already, but your official training is tomorrow. However, I think you'll realise that you know more than you think."

"I just did what I thought I should. If I can hold you back then you can't hit me. I mean, you could've headbutted me or kicked in my knees or grabbed me, but I didn't really think you would... Or at least I hope not." She scowled. "I'd like a warning next time."

"The enemy doesn't want you to know when they're going to try adn kill you, kid. You have to always be prepared." She said. She thought a moment and added as an after thought, "I think I'll be your sparring partner."

"Wait, what? I don't want to fight! I don't like to fight." Kat said. She liked to figure things out, get around her problems or avoid them.

"I won't hurt you if you don't let me. That's lesson number one." She said. "Anything else you want to go over?"

"Who else is on this 'team' you've put together?" She asked, trying to forget about the fact she just dodged a hit and managed to secure the lieutenant's hands. She'd trusted the woman not to hit her after she demostrated her reflexes which was apparently all she'd wanted. Kat was probably more surprised than she was to find she'd known what to do. She wasn't exactly the most confrontational person and she certainly didn't like conflict.

 

"It... is undecided, but we would like for the Low-Captain Ladaran and High-Commander Licuss to join us, but there seems to be a reluctance from the turians about letting their men go. I'm assuming you've already met them. Then there's Guppy, the only member of our bomb squad and part of our technical support; Yulus, a bullshit excuse for a marksman but he's damn good at hacking and researching; Our ex-con who you've already met; and then just myself." She said, shifting her weight from foot to foor, perhaps bored already. "We're still establishing ourselves."

"So.. Bishop, the deadly space pirate who's a psychotic, unstable killer, is part of this team?" She narrowed her eyes wth critizism. It didn't seem rational or even like a semi-intelligent move to bring a pirate into Alliance affairs.

"Why not? We know her weaknesses and if she doesn't cooperate, we'll hand her over to DEL or we'll kill her. She hates them more than we do and we have reason to belive she'll work with us at least until they've been stopped."

"What will you do after you've taken down 767? Will you let her go?" She asked.

She was quiet for a moment and then sighed. "That's not relevant. Ask me something else."

"Um... Well, I could stand to know your name, at least."

"First Lieutenant Hanna Caranada-Keyes." She said flatly. "Something... relevant." She enunciated as if to steer Kat toward the end of the conversation. Kat thought it safe to mark her as the grumpy one of the group. 

"I think I'd rather just let this settle in. It's... a lot." She said. She did feel a bit woozy, her head started to pound.

"Good. Then I ask you this, Kat: Do you want to be a part of our team? Do you want to stop the organization doing testing on live subjects in order to create mutated, deranged men? The people that killed your sister and have been trying to kill you? The people that have destroyed several colonies and killed countless? They who wish to achieve immortality by moving one essence from body to body like a parasite?"

Katerin felt like she was hit full force. She'd grown up wishing for adventure like in her stories. To be that dashing hero who saved humanity as it was known, who smited her foes and stood proud and strong. She had a chance to do somethign bigger than herself. To fight for justice, freedom and life. She could protect people and save lives. She could be a part of an elite team, or so the lieutenant had said. She could be everything she ever wanted. She could stand proud for her believes and protect those she would come to care for and avenge all those she had lost. These people had taken everythign away from her. She could get it back, or at least settle peace in herself.

 

 

 

 

Kat smiled and summoned her courage, mustering herself and steeling her anxiety. She took a deep breath and then paused. "Wait, I have a choice?" She blinked vacantly and the lieutenant rolled her eyes, squeezing the bridge of her noise.

"We're not holding you captive." She sassed.

"Oh. Well, then yes. I'll fight for you and I'll fight for my sister. She wouldn't want me to say no to this. I'll kill every DEL operative I see." She said, standing tall and grinning at the woman she saw before her who still wore a content if not touchy spell about her.

"Keep that attitude and you'll go far, kid. Let's just hope this isn't a waste of time." The dripping waste in her voice leaked that she seemed to believe it. The blonde then left the room, a few of the other marines stepping out of her way like she was fire.

 

 

Kat felt... Empowered didn't cover it. She felt strong. Like she was investign in something important. Like she was going to become a soldier of more than just equal rights or healthy living. She felt like she was going to fight for something real, emergent, imposing. These were the people who had killed her baby sister. Who had tried to make her forget about the events on Polius with Podratin, a drug that blocked memories from being retrieved. In too strong a dose it made people go insane. Kat was lucky she just forgot exactly what happened, but it could have been useful for what she found herself in.

 

But part of her doubted that any of this could be real. This wasn't possible. Why would the Alliance come to her- a young civilian with little bravery who rarely rose to the occasion and no official prior training- to go up against something like this? And why couldn't they just go in and take them down alone? She wasn't sure that she wasn't just dreaming. It seemed so surreal as though it had blown past her in a summer gust and her poor, confused ears had just happened to pick up the trail and now she was placing herself into this mess. She had a shuddering realisation that if they were training her combat and riflery that they expected her to fight. And if she fought... she'd likely have to kill people. Granted, they were the people who had taken her sister's life before she was even of age and thousands of other innocents but she couldn't just kill someone!

 

Katerin felt full of anguish for her loss again. Fear for herself and what was to come. Dread for that she didn't want to back out of it or maybe that she didn't feel like she could. She didn't want to be a killerm though she had dreamt of being an Alliance soldier she just didn't think that life was for her. She was a mechanic, not a fighter. She'd thought about joining once, but her parents had been so against the idea and were so negative to the idea that they were able to influence her decisions enough that she didn't still want to. Instead, she traded in her gun for a wrench.

 

 

"Suvinus," She said, turning around to face him with a bit of overwhelming pity and panic in her eyes. "Can we go see Bishop now?"

"Why would you want to go and talk to her? She's dangerous. And probably not ready for visitors, anyway." He said.

"I just want to see if she's okay. We both suffered an explosion and she's only got one kidney left." Kat said with an easy, empty shrug.

The look of wonder and shock on his face was one that almost made her regret what she said. "You really think that, don't you? Spirits, Kat. You can't be so forgiving."

"She hasn't done anything to me. She seems like she's... okay. Maybe she's not a totally bad person." She said. It was true, Kat was too forgiving, like he said. But she didn't think anyone could be so bad. KAt thought everyone should get at least one chance.

"Kat, what do you know about her crimes?" He asked, holding his elbow with the hand folded across his narrow middle.

"Well, I don't watch the news a lot but I know she went to jail. She was just in a gang related crime, right?"

"That 'gang related crime' was that she used fraud and impersonation to destroy one of the largest gangs on Omega from the inside. She took over with forced, fearful respect and rebuilt. She made a name for herself, but then she went pirate. Took half of her gang with her and got a ship- which she stole and managed to kidnap most of the passengers. She's killed hundreds, Kat. She's dangerous. She's a psychotic murderer- don't let her fool you into trusting her. That's how she is; she kills. If it were up to me, I'd put her down before she does anything stupid."

"How can you say that? She's still a person!" Kat said, refusing to believe anyone could be so evil. She felt a bit rash deciding for herself that this woman was good somewhere inside her, but she'd always denied believing that someone could be 'evil'. "But, I guess you... you do have a point."

"Finally. Just... stay away from her Kat. Until we know she can be trusted- don't." He said.

 

 

Katerin didn't heed his warning, though. She stopped by the med bay on her way up. She was trying to find the rest of the crew anyway, but she also wanted to see how Bishop was doing. She couldnt' believe that she would do anything to jeopordize her health or her fortune. If Bishop really would help them take down DEL because she hated them so, why wouldn't she use the Alliance to her own benefit? If she could get something out of them that she wanted than Kat didn't see any reason why she would put her life at risk to let that opportunity go. And weren't pirates supposed to be the manipulative type anyway? Even more likely to get what she wanted through someone else.

 

 

When she was there she saw a soldier looking her over and Red Len scanning her with a half-oval metal scanner that projected a blue light. The captain was also there with his hands behind his back and a scowl etched into his face.

"Doctor, how much longer until she's stable?" He asked.

"Well, captain, what did he High-Commander tell you?" She said, looking over at him. She sat down at her desk and pushed small rectangular reading glasses onto her nose. She twisted her hair into a bun and pinned it in place. She pushed a pile of papers into order and tapped them on the desk before moving a clipboard over and filling out a form. "If we run by the citadel I think we should put her in Huerta Memorial. They can cut her healing time in half, but she'll still have to recover." She said.

"How long is half?" He said.

"Enough you'll do it if you want her up and running any time soon." She said. So the snarky doctor went under the stern gaze of the Alliance captain? Cliche.

He gave her a warning glance, but didn't comment on it. "We need to go to the Council, might as well do it in person. Yulus, Len. Katerin." He said, dipping his head to them and leaving.

"So you're Katerin?" The curly haired soldier said, looking at her with surprise. IT was the blue eyed soldier that had been in the conference room when she'd been brought back.

"I am." She nodded.

"I'm Yulus." He held out his hand to her in greeting. "Suvinus has talked you up. We'll see if you match our needs and requirements. We're a bit short staffed."

"And if I don't?" She asked.

"Then we'll probably tak you back home and have someone from SAIA watch you." He said.

"Oh, I see." She said. "I'm just as likely to die here as I am anywhere else, right?" She laughed weakly, a half chirp.

"Well. That's a depressing way to look at it... but yeah." He said slowly, frowning sadly.

 

It made her think. It was her choice. But if she stayed with them, she could get the skills she needed to defend herself. And she'd be safer in a large number taking down DEL operatives than she would alone with no skill fighting waves of agents sent to kill her or drag her back or whatever it was they wanted her for.

 

Kat sat down across from the end of Bishop's bed, listening to the hum or the engine. It was quiet an peaceful in the Med Bay. Kat wasn't trying to stay focused on the bad, but her poor Benoit was probably dead and she'd been through hell to wind up further in.

Red Len had stepped out leaving one of the assistants to occasionally step in and see how Bishop fared. She could barely see her breathing, let alone hear it. She looked so still and lifeless. There was a circular disk on her chest that had a needle and an IV plugged into it with bright orange fluid that shone green when the light's angle changed. The light on the disk periodically brightened and then dimmed. There was a green light next to the plug that stayed bright to say that the connection of the needle was in strong.

 

Kat remembered the files on Bishop that had been left with her and she took this time to open them. What she found inside was appalling. Kat held her hand over her mouth, disgusted and revolted.

 

In the files it said her name was Jaimes Alexandria Wolfe. Bishop looked younger in the photos with larger, rounder eyes however surprisingly. Her hair was in long dreadlocks, but they were healthy and looked nice, thoguh for some reason had short, thin strips of rag tied into them and sometimes wrapped around them and then ties. She had a wound over her right eye and there were healing scars around it. As Kat read, she discovered horrifying thins about the woman she had trusted and saved. Sadly, at the age of twelve yeards old, Bishop had already joined a gang. She wound up in juvie four months later. She'd had her organs removed, as Kat had seen when Red LEn scanned her.

 

She was a pirate, someone who had killed over five hundred people by the time she turned twenty two. She was one of the most dangerous among thieves, murderers, biotics and pirates. She was known as The Prince because she had once disguised herself as a very well-to-do male and had 'funded' a gang that was rivalled by Street Knights which Bishop was 'loyal' to. Bishop destroyed them from the inside out in a matter of a year by killing half, scaring some away and then weakening them so much that the others collapsed. She still killed them, but it took longer to take out some of the others since they were more important, fortified.

 

At nineteen, Bishop escaped prison when she heard her mother had died. She would've been informed sooner, but the prison ship;s officials didn't tell her until three and a half years later. She was left to believe that her mother no longer cared for her and didn't wish to comminicate with her daughter since she'd gone to prison. Bishop had escaped once before when they'd been transporting her and she'd gone to see her mother. At that time she'd been alive, but had heartbreakingly turned her daughter back in, claiming it would be a lot harder for her if she didn't go.

 

On the day that Bishop had escaped, she had a breakdown and ended up killing over fifty people, the death total being around eight or nine under eighteen and fifty nine over. She'd crashed the ship she'd been on after single-handedly assaulted and murdering several of the guards and prisoners on board the ship before the crash. Kat had to stop reading. She felt sick to her tomach from the evil thigns she had down. It went into great detail, but she couldn't stand it any longer.

 

She almost didn't want to help her after what she'd read, but some of the things in the file... she'd grown up on Omega streets. She was a gangster, a pirate, a street thug. But she was a product of so much inflicted terror and pain. She didn't know any better but to be the way she was. Still. This woman was a murderer.

 

 

 

Katerin had just pushed aside the papers and was still trying to process what she'd read when she heard a groan as Bishop sat up. She looked up and glanced over her. Now sallow skin, dull eyes and her hair no longer combed over to the side but matted and tangled she wasn't as beautiful as KAt had first seen her. Her makeup had been wiped off, her skin having earlier been cleaned so she didn't lie caked in running makeup and her own blod.

 

"Bishop, you're awake." Kat said, smiling as she stood up and came beside her.

"Yeah, no shit." She said. "How long was I out?"

"An hour or two." Kat said with a shrug.

"And the Alliance got us, right?" She asked, rubbing her head sorely and wincing. She must have felt stiff and aching, probably still a lot of abdominal pain.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a murderer and a pirate?" She burst, suddenly feeling the desire to take out her frustration on Bishop. She had the right to know when someone was or was not on the wrong side of the law.

"It's none of your business who I am." She snapped, glaring at her.

"It is my business to know if you're public enemy number one!" She said, shaking her head and crossing her hautily. "If I'm going to go from the Citadel to Omega I'd like to know if the ship I'm on is run by pirates."

"In that case, Kitten, welcome aboard to the SS 'I don't give a shit'. Ya happy?" She said. "I'm tired of talking, fuck off."

 

Normally Kat would have said something, but the look in her eyes and what she'd read about her made her feel a bit wary of the pirate. It didn't help that every soul on the ship had been whispering and spreading rumors about things they'd heard she'd done. She didn't look like she'd ripped a man's head off his shoulders or eaten krogan for dinner every night for the past year nor did she look like she ever would. But the more she heard it and thought about it the more Kat was starting to believe it, too. She told herself she was being ridiculous for it, but she couldn't help but think it. It was brewing in her mind like it was everyone else's. Maybe that was part of being a bloodthirsty, vandalising pirate. People were afaid of you so they made up stories. If you didn't deny them all of a sudden they were true.

Kat wished she hadn't read the files. She'd defended Bishop originally, even after hearing all the rumors that were passing around from oone pair of lips to the next. She'd thought it was just propaganda, that they thought she was such a bad person, but now she didn't know if they were right or not. She didn't want to believe it at first, but it was growing on her like angry, decieved mold.

 

 

Kat had just left the Med Bay and was in the hall just outside when one of the nurses stopped her and seemed ansty and impatient.

"Ms. Kelly?" He stammered, anxious. "The High-Commander has something he'd like to show you."

"Where is he?" She asked.

"In Med Bay, with the prisoner." He said.

She flinched, recoiling from the name. It shouldn't have bothered her, but it did. Kat believed that everyone deserved to be treated as a person. Losing her mother, her organs reaped, just to be thrown in jail... it hardly seemed fair. And now her freedom was gone again. But, Kat reminded herself that she deserved it. She didn't want to think about it, that someone could kill a person so easily

 

But then she thought about Suvinus and Ladaran. Or Jonah. Military peoples weren't afraid to die for their kind or for their beliefs and that meant killing those who opposed you if it came to that. And Jonah had been defending himself when DEL had attacked them in Purgatory. But that was with reason, defense. Murdering someone just because you were a psychotic criminal was a soundly different scenario and principle. One that Kat didn't like to dwell on.

 

Once again, Kat was in the Med Bay looking at Bishop. She'd not really been paying attention before, a bit irked with her at that point, but Bishopw as wearing a plain grey shirt like nurse crubs and drawstring pants that matched.

 

"You wanted to see me?" Kat said, looking at Suvinus with a pouty expression. She was beginning to feel the tired, worn out effect that being homesick gave a person. Having suffered an explosion and then discovering she'd saved a criminal pirate's life contributed to her feeling of lightheadedness and churning gut.

"Yeah." Suvinus said, turning around from watching Bishopa nd mumbling comments about her and Ladaran. "I wanted to say we were able to find Benoit. So, uh, what pieces do you want to scoop up?" He said.

"W...what?" She suddenly had a sickened wfeeling.

"Well, he kind of got blown to chunks, so-"

"You ass!" She wanted to slap him, step down on one of his two-toed feet, grind him up in a garbage disposal, but she merely balled her fists and turned away, resting her back against the wall and covering her face. "Great. What else can go wrong?" She said sarcastically.

"Since my life is hanging on a fifty-fifty shot of recovery let's not push it." Bishop complained, sitting up and swearing at her soreness.

"Since you're dying-" Captain Banks started.

"Hey." She snapped.

"...Then answer a few questions, will you?" He finished, sitting on one of the beds across from her.

"Fuck off." She said, hands laying limply beside her legs.

Katerin looked away as the captain dealt with her shortness and poor respect while Suvinus shifted with a dissappointed sigh and shook his head. "Your pack was a miniature bonfire by the time we got to it, so if you had anything in there it's gone."

She slumped her shoulders forward and frowned, wrinkling her nose. "Just a change of clothes and my journal. I dont' think I'll miss it." She didn't look at him, merely stared at the ground and pouted, saddened by the loss of her pet and the horrific events she'd been played through in such a short amount of time.

"We found that tablet you had; it wasn't too messed up. If you're good enough at electronics, you might be able to fix it. I'd offer to help-"

"But he couldnt' plug in a toaster oven with instructions." Ladaran said, coming in the room and putting a hand on the ball of his hip where it jutted out from his waist. Ladaran was considerably thinner and more narrow than Suvinus in the waist, as well as slightly more petite, though equally as tall.

Suvinus frowned and glared at the fellow turian. "Not all of us have an unhealthy interest in bots, LC. If we all felt that way we'd have an episode like the qaurians."

Kat wondered what the Low-Captain was thinking under that red helmet he wore. Red Len entered the room just in time to become part of their dispute. Ladaran turned to her and crossed his arms with a cheeky nod. "Doctor, if you would assist the High-Commander in laying down?"

"Why? What's wrong with him?" She asked, pausing and glancing himover but not seeing the general issue.

"I'm afraid he's gotten his head stuck in his own ass again." Ladaran said, non-chalant as though nothing wrong or unusual had been said.

"Oh. I'll just be going, then." Suvinus drawled, frowning.

"To do what? Drink yourself into a stupor?" Ladaran leered.

"If I did something unexpected you might not know what to think." He said, his words dripping with ire and spite.

"Will you two both stuff it?" Red Len barked at them, muttering something about a headache she was getting from their incessant bickering. It made Kat wonder how long they had been on the ship.

 

 

Kat had just started to relax when she and everyone eles heard Bishop blurt from on her table, "Fine! You want to know why I went to jail? You want to know why I killed the people I killed?" She waved one of her hands and glared angrily at the captain. "Because I was just like every other street rat on Omega and I . Some asshole cut me open and I got blamed for all the shit I did as a kid. So, yeah, I killed that bastard. And I liked it. Some krogan jumped me in prison and when I tried to fight back, the guards held me down while their buddies fucked me until I passed out, so I killed them, too. I like it. I like stealing, I like fighting and I like killing. So fuck you!" She shouted. Bishop took on a fit of coughing and choking, gripping her stomach and groaning, wincing painfully and laying back down.

"Captain, please. If you're going to talk to her, talk about daisies and Eden Prime, will you?" Red Len snapped, helping Bishop lay back and feeling her forehead. "She can't afford stress right now."

 

Kat, like everyone else, was wide eyed. No one had been expecting such an abrupt shout, nor such vulgarity or a brutal retort. She was stunned, unsure of whether she should leave or say something. Situations like this were always so uncomfortable. Bishop seemed to be placed back in pain and Red LEn said something about needing to get to the Citadel soon. She wondered just how bad her condition was, but she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. She wouldnt' care if she died, but no one deserved to go so young. But then neither did any of the people Bishop had killed. The death toll was over five hundred. That wans't all direct kills, some were just because of things she was responsible for. 

 

Luckily, the captain broke the silence by directing everyone out and saying that they would fly to the citadel for Bishop's health and the assistance she could offer the Alliance. He then called a meeting in the debriefing room. Kat didn't act on it, thinking it directed at Suvinus, Ladaran and the lieutenant. She was, however, nudged by Ladaran who nodded in the direction of the door for her to follow.

 

 

The Captain sat behind his desk, the others at a table that extended off of it. The lieutenant sat in the first chair on the right with a tall woman with her brown hair in a bun and honey wheat eyes between her and the captain. Yulus was in the chair next to the lieutenant's, Katerin beside him and Ladaran and Suvinus across from Hanna. Next to the two turians was a blonde, handsome made with pale, almost golden eyes. 

 

Captain Banks folded his hands and motioned for the stern, broad woman beside him to lean down. He whispered something to her leaving the lieutenant looking irked and feeling unincluded. The captain nodded at her and she lowered her brow, relaxing and turning back. Whatever it was that was worth discussing the lieutenant was going to be in on it, too.

 

Banks slid his fingers across the surface of his desk and a screen tracked his movements, opening a window with several buttons and information being displayed. He pressed a button that flashed pink twice, then switched to orange and stayed.

 

"I'd like to discuss our team. I believe our turian guests are well acquainted with Kelly, here?" He nodded to the them both.

"Actually, sir, I had very little interaction with her. I kept Suvinus tracking her while I handled the majority of our investigation. I thought it best." Ladaran said. Kat wondered if she'd ever see the likeness of his face more than that brief time when Suvinus had irritated his commanding officer on the citadel.

"Well, there will be plenty of time to get to know each other. You'll be working with each other in an out of enemy fire, on the field or on the ship it doesn't matter. You'll ned to trust your leading officer and teammates. You have all been chosen for a very specific purpose. Each of you has something to offer our cause." He glanced over at the formidle woman beside him.

When she spoke, she had a voice that resembled her exterior; strong, hearty and not one that could be ignored. "First Lieutenant Hanna Caranada Keyes." She said, adressing her. "You have been chosen for your ruthless display of leadership and strong willed ability to compartmentalize your fears, pain and anxiety and make the tough call when the decision has to be made." She said.

 

She looked at Ladaran and Suvinus in turn as if considering them, maybe thinking somehting of them that Kat either didn't undersand or couldn't. The commander didn't blink, simply held theirgazes and said, "Out turians are awaiting consultation from the tuiran hierarchy before they'll be of use to us. We'll see if the turians care enough to help." The captain mumbled her name under his breath low enough that Kat didn't catch it.

 

"Seargent Major Yulus Kirk Baker." She said. He immediately stiffened and sat up straighter. She 'hmmphed' and continued, "A skittish soldier by nature but if I might say freely, a damn fine hacker. You're the best when it comes to computer specialists. You were not chosen from another station or ship, but you were chosen from amongst the Monument's established crew to lead our tech team." She said.

 

"Officer Cadet Coinneach McGrory. Our bomb specialist and tactical eye on the field. You were chosen for your track record of reliable loyalty and response. You follow orders when given without question in a timely manner and you get things done. You're sharp with a weapon and have a vast knowledge of poisonous gasses and explosives. You also have a notably high report of dealing with information. You and Corporal Kenley have an ear to the ground, so to speak." She smiled.

 

"Katerin Wy Kelly." The woman said, turning and stopping on the other side of the table across from Kat. "You're our only non-military team mate." She said it negatively, like Kat was a blight or a barnacle on the side of the ship. "You have no weapons training or war experience, but you are one of our two located chimeras. DEL seems to think their something special or vaulable about you so it is our task to find it and absorb it to our benefit. We've been informed you're analytical and tactical, also that you have experience in maintenance." Kat nodded proudly.

 

The woman scrunched her face sourly and looked at the captain in a silent question. She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut briefly, nose still wrinkled like she'd smelled something rotten. "Lastly we have our cyborg criminal, the infamous Jaimes Alexandria Wolf, more commonly known as The Prince." She shook her head. "She's a vicious killer, a rabid animal and a filthy-" She cleared her throat, feeling the scrutinous glare of the captain. "Ah, a dangerous warrior we're looking to have on out side. Her alliance is something we'll need to work toward. And we'd like all of you to... give her a chance. And be prepared to be met with hostility and possible aggression. We can't yet trust her, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't give her a reason to trust us."

"You'll all have to be up to date on her behavior, which is why we're bringing in a military psychologist." Captain Banks said, taking up the lead of the conversation. "From what we've read of her psyche, written by the prsion ship Repute, she has unstable biotics, shock capabilities and has antisocial personality disorder." He said. "She's a criminal, but she's still human. Ah, figure of speech." He said, putting a hand up in reassurance to the two turians.

"Understood, Captain." Ladaran nodded. "But with all due respect, perhaps we should try appealing to her instead of probing her? Her psyche also states that attempts to counsel her have been unsuccessful and sometimes quite chaotic. One result was suicide."

"I recognise this, Captain, and you're word will considered but for now it's our best option. Unless you know how to appeal to her?" He asked genuinely.

"Not exactly." Ladaran said. "But perhaps she may relate to Katerin."

"Me?" She scoffed. "No way. I don't want to be fodder for her next killing spree!" Kat waved her hands submissively like a surrender, shaking her head adamantly.

"But she has a point. You're a civilian, a chimera and DEL is after you. You have more in common than any of us." Suvinus pointed out.

"Sure. I want a noose around my neck anyway." Kat scoffed.

"Well, whatever the means of appealing to her are, we'll have to walk on eggshells so we don't provoke her. You'll all be briefed on Bishop's behavior and how to react in certain situations." Said Captain Banks. "We've sent the files to your omni-tools and message systems. Kat, if you would...?" She held out her omni-tool and allowed the solid block of a woman to scan it. Both omni-tools momentarily flashed green around the circular rim at their fists and the syncing and sharing process was done. 

 

 

 

Kat was restless. She'd not been on a ship before, at least not this long. The first time she'd ever been in one was on the Monument originally, when she'd been unconcscious from the attack on Polius. The second was when she left the citadel on Bishop's ship but even then she spent some of the time helping Bishop unload things and was distracted from the motion of the ship, the rumble and it's purr. Now, she could hear every noise, every wave of humming power the generated mass effect fields produced as they swept through the ship's core. The top and bottom bars, which were not elevators but were lit up with bright, white lights were supposed carriers, a kind of metal that transferred the mass effect fields easily over the hull of the ship for barriers.

 

It didn't take long for Kat to make her ay from the front of the ship, where the command center was to the end of the ship and then to the drive core. She was a surprise there and at first she was stopped by the man posted at each side of the elevator. Normally there would have been someone on either side, but since there were so many elevators and secure doors on the monument, they'd have no one left over for anything else.

 

Luckily for Katerin, the liuetenant and the captain had beat her there. They were both surprised to see her, the lieutenant questioning her immediately in a negative, diminutive voice with cold, sharp eyes. She explained herself and her reasons for wishing to be in the engine room. She was best around machines and she was best at fixing and upgrading. She was shocked when the captain agreed to let her poke around in the ship's drive core and see what she thought of it, but not nearly so as the lieutenant was. She shrieked a surprised "What?!" and glanced wide-eyes between the two.

 

Lieutenant Caranada didn't think it wise to have non-Alliance personal digging around in the ship's systems, but Kat assured her she was going to do no such thing. She compared it to 'Bring your kid to work' day. She'd simply be watching people work, occasionally asking what something was or marvelling at the Alliance mechanics.

 

 

As she'd suspected, Kat had simply spent the next hour leaned against the wall, watching people come and go and monitor the drive-core, all while giving her strange looks. Eventually, she heard a beeping noise and looked down to the standard colonit's omni-bracelet. It was black, about an inch think and an inch wide, fit to her wrist. There was red light around the front facing sidethat cast a gentle glow on the back of her hand. About a third of the way around on the top was more of the glowing red light. Kat tapped the bracelet and the lights cut off but her omni-tool opened.

 

As Katerin couldn't find what her omni-tool wanted, a small circular red light continuously flashed. Kat didn't know what it meant, but she imagined it would be wise to go up to the central control area of the ship where she passed a door to a room getting a lot of action. She peered in through the large, rectangular window to seeSuvinus laughing at some clever remark he made before Ladaran clobbed the back of his head to no cease in his laughter. Everyone else in their strange team was standing in the middle of the room around a table with guns, armor, helmets and a lot of screens covering the walls in different angles and positions, some angled down from how they were half on the walls and half n the ceilings. There were podiums, three around the front of the room, with more holografic screens on them.

 

"Kelly!" The captain said curtly upon seeing her. He had his hands clasped behind his back as usual, wearing his Alliance fatigues.

"Uh, Yes, sir?" She said meekly, straightening and hesitantly bring her hand to her head in a slow, pitiful salute.

"Get ready. We're going to the Citadel." The captain said. "Grab some armor, get a gun and let's go."

"But.. I don't have a permit to own a gun..." She said. With everyone else either strapping themselves into armor or standing around looking formidable and untouchable with guns on hand she was feeling a bit small.

"I know." The captain said. Even with his gruff voice she could hear the amusement and cheat that was there.

"But..." Kat glanced over at Suvinus for support. She didn't know turians could wink but Suvinus did as if to say to her she would be alright if she lied a little. Kat wasn't always very good at lying unless she had to, though.

 

She sighed and found a bit of medium-weight armor, stepping into it and zipping it up. It was sleek like a wet-suit almost, only having lines and detailing over it. As for color variation there was a black 'vest' and black legs, leaving only her arms and stomach in a grey. A red line came from her ankles to her hips where it then bowed in a slimming shape to her shoulders and down the outsides of her arms.

She skimmed over the selection of guns before picking up a pistol she liked and attached it to her hip. In sleek, form-fit armor with a gun on her side she didn't feel so bad. She just wished she had her backpack with her still. Perhaps, if they had time, she could ger herself a new one. Kat would feel better packing things around like a mule.

 

"All set?" Suvinus asked, looking her over.

"Ready. Though I'm not really sure I put this on right." She said, just as her pistol tumbled from where she'd stuck it on her hip. Hanna picked it up for her and shoved it against the side of her torso. There were two strips that came from the top of her shoulders to her the waistline of her suit. There were two clips for guns just above her hips, near her umbilical. Kat heard and it click and she realised she'd simply not pushed it on far enough, a warm blush sweeping over her faintly freckled face.

 

 

Lieutenant Caranada, like Kat and probably the others, were concerned as to why Katerin would be going with them before she was really established in the crew. The captain assured them that in order to keep and maintain her trust and see that she wanted to be a part of her team they'd have to treat her like so. On the citadel, in such busy places, it was unlikely they'd get into any real trouble. As long as they stayed out of the shady areas and out of the shadows, DEL wouldn't attack them. Kat herself knew they had their hands in every rich, fat company pie. Suvinus and Ladaran were undercover on the Citadel, waeching and sifting through DEL's fingers to see everything they touched and sent the prints back to the Council. With the two of them in the underbelly, the Council could see their goings-on, but it was decided that their business was unimportant and wasn't a threat, even in the essential organizations that stirred on more than just the Citadel.

 

Kat, Lieutenant Caranada and the Commander went back up to the med bay to monitor Bisop as she was transported off the ship to the emergency docking in one of the wards. The docks were cleared so that it was straight shot from the ship to the hospital. There were C-SEC and Alliance officials posted by the elevator down to the entrance to the hospital's lobby.

 

 

"Admiral Ulysses Donnovan. You have the obtained prisoner?" A broad man with a stern gaze and a chisled face of age took two steps toward the captain, leaving just the trio of the doctor and her assistants holding up Bishop's stretcher with Katerin and the slew of military peoples gathered around a few paces behind them.

"We have her here." The captain said. The whole thing seemed too ominous, too serious and official when the captain stepped out of the way to show the three holding Bishop up.

The admiral walked around to where she was, leaving the doctors to shift impatiently under her weight. Even though she was thin and looked about one hundred and fifteen pounds, her mechanical arm and leg added more weight than anyone expected. "Go ahead and take her down. We'll talk later."

"Yes, admiral." The captain nodded. "Alright, Len. Load her up." He pushed past the admiral and his crew, then they all piled into the elevator.

 

 

They all crowded into the elevator and Kat was beginning to feel a bit sympathetic to Bishop. Every now and then she'd moan and tense up, then go slack again like she wasn't even concious, though her face screwed up in pain was enough to declare that theory empty. Red Len mumbled something about her needing proper treatment as well as her dislike for the admiral. The captain quickly hushed the speaking and the agreeing tlak of the uneasy lack of trust they had in the admiral's good will.

 

They soon arrived at the hospital's doors, carrying Bishop through the halls where doctors parted before gossiping about the Alliance being in their care. Suvinus and Ladaran had earlier departed when the elevator stopped, returnhing to their own business, likely to report back to their superiors.

 

Bishop was set down in her own room where the doors were promptly locked and no one could see in. The window on the far side of the room was also locked. Surprisingly, nothing was in the room. No tables, no trays of instuments, no desks. There was just a window, a bed and a few potted plants around the room. A scanner was there, built in out of a door in the ceiling for viewing people's ailments and treatments, but nothing otherwise.

 

The arm of the scanner was pulled down and they ran it over Bishop, ultraviolet light in a straight beam of light working over her several times before a holographic scren flashed and displayed the informatin necessary on a wall behind them, across from Bishop's bed. IT made the wall looked backlit as though it were hollow, made of light blue, thin plastics.

 

 

"...No kindey, one lung, a missing spleen. And she had renal trauma. This is... wonderous." She can be given a one lung, but it's been missing for some time. We'd have to bring in cybernetic influences." The doctor said. "She's had a hard life." HE shook his head.

"It's harder for the families of her victims." Captai Banks said.

"We shouldn't be healing her. We should be euthenizing her." Hanna said, shaking her head. She was already unhappy with having her guns taken before they could enter the hospital, but she was even more so sour about bringing the murderous pirate to full health.

"Lieutenant, why don't you and the Commander go find our recruit? Kat, you go with her." He said, directing them out of the room politely.

"Yessir." She saluted and looked over at Kat, taking her with her out of the hospital room and into the hall where the Commander had her back against the wall, talking with one of the nurses there. When she saw the lieutenant, she ceased conversation and turned to them, waiting for a relay of orders from Captain Banks.

"The recruit's waiting. We should go." She said, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. The commander gathered herself and opened her omni-tool.

"We'll follow the map. I'm sending the coordinates over." She said. Kat and Hanna's omni-tool's lit up. They pulld them up to acknowledge the flashing lights. Hanna's was green and Kat's was purple, a personal choice for both of them. The standard color was a white flash.

 

They took a cab to the location in the next ward. Kat recognised the place as a popular and well known Alliance hotspot. There were several marines and military spouses there, all sitting at the cafes or strolling together, laughing and shopping. There were a few bars and nightclubs and sometimes a restraunt or a coffee shop.

 

"He should be here in one of the parks. I hate the citadel." The commander complained, stopping and looking around.

"What park is it? There are two, Dallas and Viireks." Kat said. She knew her way aroudn the Citadel, though not well.

"Dallas." She said, turning to look at Kat.

"It's not far." She gestured forward and the commander nodded. She let Kat lead the rest of the way, but they were stopped by a few reporters. The lieutenant seemed angry and short with them, but the commander politely told them that they were busy and couldn't be bothered, though she, too, seemed annoyed with them. Kat couldn't understand the fuss, but she wasn't sure she'd get it even if she did know. KAt wasn't stupid, but when it came to really caring about their business she could admit she didn't. Maybe that was a bad thing with her joining them, but she wanted her revenge. Her life was put in jeopardy and her sister was killed all because of some misunderstanding.

 

 

"Please, ma'am. Let us at least get a few short qustions answered?" The woman, sweet-faced woman in a white dress with a blonde bob, looked hopeful and desperate as her camera pod floated in the air behind her.

"You can contact us later if you'd like a word." She said.

"You're with the Monument, right? That Alliance vessel that just landed?"

"How- Nevermind. Speak with the captain if you like." She said. She waved the woman off and told Kat to continue. Kat shrugged and moved around the woman toward Dallas Park.

 

It didn't take them long, maybe a few minutes. The commander looked around the area, scooping the area.

 

It was mostly silver and white with the colors of the citadel. There were tall buildings, a few stands and a few attractions. Mostly, though, it was just people walking about and attending the event that was taking place there. It was a convention of some sorts but Kat didn't know what nor did she figure they'd be meeting the newest Alliance recruit for the Monument in a place like this. It was odd that it wouldn't be somewhere more official.

 

Kat didn't get th chance to ask before all hell broke loose. Kat looked to the rooftops just in time to see someone holding an RPG aimed at them. The firey explosion sent them flying. When Kat landed in the middle of someone's stand. She heard the lieutenant groan and shift from where she was, pushing herself to get to her feet. She drew her weapon and looked around for the commander.

 

Kat held her sore stomach, pain shooting down her back as she stood. She was bruised and shaken again, the second time in a few days she'd been through this. Before that the facility on Polius had burned, so Kat had had enough of fire and explosions.

 

"No!" Hanna cried, crouched down by the lifeless corpse of her commander. "Where are they? I'll kill those bastards!" She pulled her assault rifle off her back and looked around the panicking people for anyone who looked like they could be responsible.

 

Kat drew her pistol off her hip, thankful for the armor they'd given her to wear. The commander's sheilds were down and a piece of shattered glass was sticking up from her throat, eyes and mouth wide open and blood pouring out from around the cut and her mouth.

 

Kat aimed her gun at a man who came rushing over. He wore a white hoody and jeans, but for some reason her had a gun on him. He put his hands up in surrender, standing before the lieutenant.

"I'm with the Alliance military. You guys who I was supposed to meet?" He asked. He had his dog tags hanging from thumb in one of hands, the N7 symbol stamped on the back obvious.

"What the hell happened?" The lieutenant asked, looking at him suspiciously even still.

"DEL. They saw you coming. Didn't you get the memo? Civillian clothes. DEL's been targeting anyone who looks military. They know we're after them and they aren't happy about it."

"Watch out!" Kat yelled, grabbing the lieutenant's arm as she ran past, knocking her down behind on of the stands. The recruit managed to leap out of the way just in time as another missile fround it's way to where Hanna had been standing just seconds before.

She panted for just a moment, surprise written across her face as realisation that Kat had saved her life set it. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"You save my ass, I'll save yours. Let's go before we don't have any legs to run with." Kat said. She'd have done what she did not matter who it had been.

 

She peered around the corner and didn't see anyone. She held a hand down to Hanna and helped her to her feet. She was anxious and nervous as she looked to the recruit who nodded. Together the three of them took off down the half level of stairs as fast as they could run.

"Get down!" Hanna shouted, ducking behind a rock in the center of median. Kat hid behind a cubby in the wall just at the bottom of the stars, the recruit opposite her. Kat peeked around it to see two DEL operatives moving into position. Kat shot one in the stomach and she crumpled, grabbing her stomach and falling to the ground.

 

The recruit aimed and hit another, but the bullet stopped at her shields. HE fired again and blood spurted and garbled from her throat. The lieutenant looked to Kat who she could see from her hiding place. Kat gestured diagonally from Hanna. At ten o' clock there was a man hiding behind a kiosk. The moment he looked out from around his cover, a bullet landed in his chest and he was dead. Hanna held out her arm. On her wrist a red, holographic scanner circled. Only one dot showed up.

 

Hanna looked up and waved for the two to regroup. She put a hand out toward her scanner as she walked, Kat to her right and the recruit to her left. She minimized the scanner so it lay flat on her wrist. She watched it, but nothing new appeared on the scanner. Hanna stopped just in front of the woman Kat had shot and kicked her gun away as the bleeding woman grasped at it.

"Finish her off." Hanna said. She stepped around her body and started walking. Kat froze and looked to the recruit. He frowned like her understood and fired a round into her skull. The agony wasn't the only thing on the woman's face. It was... She didn't know. It was like the DEL operative knew she was dying and was looking at something that neither of them could see. As if she was staring into heaven itself.

 

 

They reached a city transit and Hanna called a cab. They piled in with collective thankfulness for their spared lives.

 

"That was close." The lieutenant said, pushing back the loose strands of blonde hair falling in her face. There was a bead of sweat rollng from her temple and her labored breath betrayed her dislike for such close encounters.

Kat looked over at the man sitting beside her. His skin was dark and her had a five o'clock shadow growing out. His hair was shaved so there was only a shadow of black hair. He had soft features that coul've been described as nubian and kind light brown eyes. He glanced over at her when he noticed and smiled. "I'm Caleb." He stretched his hand to her and she shook it, blushing and grinning.

"Katerin. Call me Kat."

"First time?" He asked.

"I've had a few run-ins, but I've never actually shot anyone." She admitted, looking don and wringing her hands. There was blood on them now. "It doesn't feel like I thought it would. To kill a man..."

"It's never easy, but when it's you or them you can't hesitate." He said. "You thought quick."

"You're right." She said. "I'm not sure I want to fight, but this is my only chance. I can't sit by and do nothing." She said.

It was scary to think she'd killed someone without thought. She'd imagined killing someone would be hard, but... it wasn't. She'd pulled the trigger and not cared. She was still thinking about the way the woman had doubled over, dying. The finishing shot that Caleb had blasted at her head. The fear in the woman's eyes. And yet she still didn't feel as guilty as she should have. But the image was right there behind her eyes, sitting in her mind to remind her.

 

Kat was still admiring Caleb when the cab stopped. Hanna opened the doors and jumped out, waiting for her companions who were close behind. They walked down the halls of the hospital to Bishop's room on the tenth floor. Kat was surprised the hospital was so large, but apparently it was a common and filled building. The top two floors, ten and eleven, were reserved for the insane and undesirable which was where Bishop was.

 

"Captain." Hanna said, pushign the door open.

"You have him, good." Banks said, looking from the corner where he was standing with a doctor and Red Len who was speaking with one of the nurses. "What's your name, soldier? And why aren't you in uniform?"

"Corporal Caleb Domingo, sir. I was under the impression HQ wanted the meeting to be discreet. We had a full on confrontation with DEL." He said, crossing his arms and shifting his weight.

"They had snipers stationed on the roof tops and men on the ground. The commander..." Hanna scoffed and looked away, a heated flush on her face.

The captain was silent for a moment and he too seemed to feel the loss. "I see. We'll send someone to collect her body." He said. "Did anyone follow you?"

"No. As far as I can tell they don't know we're here." She said. "Sir, I'd like to return to the ship."

"Negative, lieutenant. You can mourn later. Right now I need you here." HE said.

"Yessir." She said quietly. Though she looked tough and unflappable, the commander seemed to have been a friend.

"Kat, Corporal, you two stay in here while the liuetenant and I step outside." He said. The captaina nd the lieutenant then left, the door sliding open and shut behind them.

 

Bishop was asleep when they were in there, Kat sitting across from her and Caleb leaned against the wall at the foot of the bed. They heard the door unlock and slide open. Figuring it was just the captain returning, Kat didn't look up until she heard the nurse telling Red Len they needed to Bishop another dose of Remmeticin, a drug that would triple the speed of her recovery.

 

She wondered if Bishop could have surgery to replace her lung. It was a possible surgery, but it was likely that the captain wouldn't allow it on his time. Her recovery would be too long and if she was to be necessary and useful, she'd need to be functional and at her prime. If she couldn't stress herself she was a useless liability.

 

"When will she wake up?" Kat asked.

"She's not comatose, she's just sleeping." The nurse said. "The treatment she's getting doesn't require her to be under. It's no different than a regular IV except that it's medicinal."

"I see." Kat said.

"Honestly I hope she stay asleep. I can't say I'm looking forward to her temper if she's all she's cracked up to be." The nurse shook his head and then put a needle into the port on her chest. It flashed and the connection was secured. The fluid began transferring from the bag beside the bed into her veins. The nurse then left and Kat watched as orange medicine flowed down the tube.

 

As if she knew it was time, Bishop stirred and opened her eyes, looking down the bed to the IV in her chest and to the three people in her room. She groaned and gave them all a groggy look. She looked Caleb over curiously, then to Kat's armour.

"Who's he?" She asked.

"Caleb Domingo." He answered. "You're Bishop, right? The Prince."

"Yep." She layed her head back down and took a deep breath. Unexpectedly she smiled. "Damn. This is a pretty room. Look how cleeeaaan it is. It's all so... clean." She moved her arms out to the end of the bed, her hands droopin off.

"Is she okay?" Kat asked, looking over at Red Len.

"She's out of it. They've got her on some good drugs so she doesn't feel a thing." The doctor shook her head and smirked, watching as Bishop held up a hand and admired her fingers and laughed at all the breaks she'd gotten on them and the scabs on her knuckles from different skirmishes.

"Where'd that turian get off to?" She asked. "He was pretty cute, huh?"

"Oh, God. I'm not hearing this." Kat sighed and tuned her out. She heard Caleb make a comment about first impressions and she had to agree, their meetings were very different from each other. Kat had been engaging in gunfire while Caleb was just watching her laugh about absolutely nothing, unless the air and her fingers counted as interesting subjects.

 

Finally the captain came back and the lieutenant was with him, strands of hair still falling loose in sections. He was glad to see her awake, but he was quickly dissappointed when he saw how the medicine was affecting her. No one expected cold blooded killer to be loopy, but according to the doctor and to Red Len it was a side effect to be expected. She wouldn't be on pain medication for too much longer. The Remmeticin would work quickly enough that the pain would dissolve overtime and she'd be fine without it. IT wans't necessary, but it helped keep her sedated and calm as well as eliminated her pain.

 

 

The captain did eventually come back in, but the lieutenant was not with him. He mentioned that he'd sent a mission report to headquarters and was informed that they had failed to uphold the low key profile. They called the mission disatrous and reckless, but that civilian casualities were clear and the only results were minor injuries. 

Kat, however, was still shaking and was nervous. Her body was trembling and aching. She had had enough; she was frazzled, sore, scarred and bruised because of DEL. She'd kill every last one of those bastards for all the trouble they were. They took her sister away from her and tried to burn Kat with her. She had burns on her arm and side from the incident. Luckily, though she was self-counscious if she ever showed skin, she didn't have any above her shoulder. Sadly, the side of body and hip left a burn that curved around the back of her leg and to the inside of her ankle. Then, of course, there was the bullet wound and the blade wound. KAt wasn't too happy about those constant reminders of how evil these people really were. Ruthlessly hunting her after murdering and burning her sister while she was forced to leave her behind.

 

The captain sent them all back to ship, following suit and reluctantly leaving The Prince under the watch of two C-Sec officers posted outside her room. The nurses flowed in and out of her room but never did they come out gossping. They were professional and they'd been assured that only the best were working on Bishop. It was demanded that they be perfectly skilled and wouldn't breath a word about Bishop's presence. No one was to know she was there, no one was to know she was still alive. All the Galaxy believed she was dead, and for the better.

 

 

Kat found herself standing in one of the halls, piddling away the time by meddling with a more than frustrating Rubik's Cube. An old human test of intelligence and patience. Kat... didn't have enough of either. At least, she was tired and frazzled by the thing. Kat liked old things, but sometimes she had to wonder what the point of cubes with painted tiles that never aligned was.

 

One of the soldiers on board, private Jax, was the one who ended up pullig her Rubik's Cube away from her. She'd never see one before and did't know what it was, but quickly dismantled it to see what was inside. It came apart rather easily once she figured out where to press. The individual sqaures all hung down from strings, but Jax seemed to have an idea. She remantled it and then asked if she might borrow it for eough time to revamp it. Kat had nothing she planned on doing with it. It was oly for use when she was stressed, bored or needed something mindless to do to keep her hands occupied.

 

Kat was left feeling alone and freindless on the ship. Jonah was probably running from DEL if he wasn't killed already. With Angel there was no telling what she was up to. PRobably chewing gum and being totally wrapped up in something trivial to do with the latest gossip in celebrities, fashion and pop culture. Suvinus wasn't a part of this and Veyza was gone. She'd never have any of her friends with her and, frankly, she didin't want anyone around her that she cared about.

 

Kat was starting to feel mercentile. She was considering a life away from everything, to be detatched. She'd never really thought about it seriously before. People who abandoned their old lives to escape everything. But if It wasn't anything solid and it wasn't a good idea to her, not yet. If they didn't defeat the enemy... maybe she'd consider it. But she didn't see where it was possible. So few people? If they couldn't get it done...

 

 

"Would all Operation DEL Freedom personnel report to the Comm room for debrief?" A voice spoke over the intercom that caught Kat's attention.

She was likely part of that team, but she didn't know. Not until Hanna grabbed her arm and said, "C'mon, kid. Time to get some things straight."

 

Kat was taken into the debriefing room where she and Caleb were fitted for their armor, their BMI was ealuated. Caleb was of course in peak condition. Kat was at a good weight, according to Red Len, and that once they put her to work she'd do any additional coditioning that was necessary. For now, though, she was free to go and her meals were adjusted to her requirements. As a biotic, she'd have gotten twice the amount of everyone else. As just normal Kat, though, she was the same as the others, so to speak.

 

Kat was allowed her own armor and her own guns, what she was comfortable with. They dragged her down to the shooting range and was made to test a variety of weapons. She was good with a pistol, good with a regular rifle. She wasn't given anything but a pistol and a low-grade rifle, though. They weren't to blame. She was a civilian, and probably not someone they were going to be quick to place a lot of faith in. Kat was feeling like a soldier, important and rushed from the last fight's effects, but she wasn't one in fact. She just kew how to throw a punch and when to hide and when to run.

 

 

 

The next morning Kat woke up in the primary crew's quarters. Apart from there others there were two rooms. One for the men, one for the women. Lieutenant Hanna would have gotten her own room as an officer, like they all would have, but since they didn't have but so much space she was put in the room with Kat. In their shared roomthere were six beds, or three bunks. Kat chose the one to the right of the door instead of the one across from it on the left wall. The lieutenant was in the bottom bed in the bunks across from the door, fillig up the the third wall. They were practically alone, but she rather figured they'd planed on having a much larger crew.

 

She imagined the men's room was the same, but only Yulus, Guppy and Caleb were occupying that one. It made her woder how many people they planned on brining in. She wondered why this was somethig they'd recruit just anyone for. She had to remind herself she wasn't in this because she was important or needed. She was in this because she was a chimera, valuable to DEL and thus valuable to the Alliance. They only wanted her so that DEL couldn't have her. At least it was protection and safety from them. they were also leting her fight and every DEL minion she killed was one more for her sister, Polius, Veyza and for Marcus if they'd gotten to him already.

 

Kat got dressed in what she had worn the day before, but found that she was given free will to leave and return to the ship so long as she returned to it by a certain time. Kat foud that aspect very lenient. She was supposed to be a part of the team, yet she wasn't so much an asset she needed to be monitored. It came unexpectedly that she would be allowed off on her own since the whole reason the Alliance wanted her was to keep her out of enemy hands. Maybe they thought she could handle herself well enough on her own.

 

Kat had a few things on her list and was ready to get going when she was called by one of the Alliance soldiers just before departing. It was Jax. She knew it was too strange that they'd let her go without supervision. Jax was there in case of an emergency. Apparetly, she wasn't allowed off alone. Unfortunate, but necessary and she wasn't going to complain. Jax was friedly enough and somehow she managed to talk more than Kat, a nearly impossible feat.

 

Kat's first stop was for light armor, something she could wear around the ship or when she was doe with the Alliance. She didn't mind the thrill of a firefight as much as she imagined and perhaps she'd make a name for herself if she made it good with them. She was stopped by an old man who pointed her in the direction of a "Protective Gear & Apparel" shop. Once in, Kat didn't find anything so out of the ordinary like the ma had talked about. There were supposed to be amazing and flawless designs by one of the employees, though he sold out the back. Kat did't see anything she wouldn't see anywhere else, or hadn't already seen.

 

But then there it was; the book in the very back of the store where they had a few grenades and melee weapons for sale. A book, siting by itself on a table with a few various items, opened to display concept ideas of apparel. The first three were splendid, the second three were amazing and the next three took her breath away. The mechanics of the suits were exemplary. They were made of woven, tough fibers that held tight against bullets, biotics and fire. There were wetsuits, drysuits and full bodied armor that were made for the fighting body.

 

One in particurlar caught her eye; "Shadow's Dance." The name seemed a bit dramatic, but it was apparently do to it's flexible and reliable nature. It's barriers muffled sounds and had omni-tool amplifiers. As an engineer and mechanic, Kat was impressed. The outfit itself was, to her, sexy. And if there was one thing Kat was't going to put up with it would be irritable, uncomfortable hard suits. She liked flexible wear, somethign this make up claimed to be good at.

 

Kat was noticed by the designer and was quietly outfitted in the series. IT was a prototype, like all in the books were, but it fit her like a glove. the fabirc was like vinyl, but soft and breathable on the inside. It was white and had a barely there 'quilted' look to it like a saddleplad, little diamonds that lay flat and hardly detectable.

 

There was a low V in the top that plunged sharply and drastically, but the popped collar came halfway up her neck on just the sides an back leaving her chest open. The one sleeve, on her left, was long and exteded to her hands. The right attached to a glove just under the curve of her bicep. There was a strap there, but the top of the black glove, shiny like the rest of the outfit, lay only on the top and not all the way around her arm. It continued down to her elbow where just below it there was another strap, then to her hand where there was a strap around her wrist and then around her hand. It had a white circle with a black dot in the center that sat ont he back of her hand. IT was the omni-tool amplifier she'd been so interested in.

From underneath her chest her shirt came to a point and met another circle like on her hand, black dot in the center. Coming down from that was another point, this one facing up at the other so the tips both touched the circle and formed an hourglass, leaving her ribs exposed as well as her hips as an actual arrow. The second piece ended at the middle of her stomach with a cutout that pointed upwards like the hourglass, her umbilical and abdominal curve shown off.

Down from this were two more circles, one on either side like buckles on her hips. They held up the diamond shape of her leggings. At the top of her thigh they wrapped all the way around leaving no skin bare. The sides ad back were exposed so only a bridge on the front of her thigh remained to meet another circle on the middle of her thigh. The pattern repeated but fell into her boots at her knee.

Her boots were black, a buckle around the top just below her knee. In the front, there was a strip that came down from the buckle and left a patch around her leg where the stgrip wasn't. It led to the rest of her boot where from three inches below the buckle there was a colid boot with a moderately tall spike heel.

On her legs where the fabric was cut away there were black straps holding the fabric to her legs every three inches. Likewise, on her sides on her torso though not on her stomach. The straps were on her back where the sliver of white material that covered her seat then ran up in a line to meet the cropped piece of her top across her shoulder blades.

 

 

The finishing touch was to add a gun belt for her to keep her pistol clipped to. The remnants of her last outfit were stuffed into her rucksack and she left the fitting room to see Jax standing there with a foul expression on her face. She didn't apporve of Kat's getting an illegal outfit, but likely wouldn't say anything unless she was asked. Kat was still her own person, she wans't enlisted at all. She was just... hired.

 

She started to pass Jax, but she stopped her and held her moni-tool over the left shoulder of Kat's uniform. Somehow burned into the fabirc was the N7 logo in red lettering. She ran her fingers over it. It wasn't hot and it didn't feel out of place.

 

 

Kat was out of thigs to do now. She'd gotten herself a tablet for her own personal use. IT would help her keep track of information she had, tabs she needed to keep and tracking of various things she needed to take note of. She was goig to be busy with the Alliance, but also since she was stuck on a ship she wouldn't have anythig to occupy her time. she'd have to find little tasks to do around the ship or spend all of her time in training with the Lieutenant.

 

She decided it was time to check up on the pirate, see how she was doing. Most would probably have avoided her, like Jax wanted to do, but Kat wasn't like most people. She actually found it a bit interesting, since she'd never really watched the news vids. And how often did one get to meet someone so dangerous and strong and powerful? Anyone she asked about Bishop said she was insance, psychotic, murderous. She was too much instablity mixed with a lot of hatred, anger and craziness. It made her sound more like a rabid beast, not like the woman Kat had met.

 

It was still hard to believe Kat had been on the very ship she'd used to blow up colonies, kill civillians and officials sent to take her down and smuggle drugs and illegal possessions. Even gangs int he Terminus Systems were afraid of her. Why she was allowed to be free Kat didn't know, but the Alliance must have had a good reason.

 

 

She wne to Bishop's room to find her staring blankly ahead at the wall, a sickly color to her skin and no longer any makeup. Her black hair was free and she could see it wasn't very long at all. How it was forced into a braid was beyond her. It wasn't long at all, just enough that when pushed back it stretched halfway to the end of her neck.

 

"Good to see you're awake." Kat said upon entering. she took a seat across from the bed, but Jax opted to stay outside.

"Don't try to get to know me and be my friend. If I wanted to be here I wouldn't have tried to blow the place to hell." She said, looking away.

"I saved your life. I could've left you there." Kat said, shaking her head and wrinklig her nose like her comment was putrid.

"Why didn't you?" She mocked, her voice taunting and low.

"Because I'm a good person. I don't let people die when I can do something about it."

"You didn't know who I was, that's why. If you'd know I was a criminal you'd lhave left me for bait like anybody else." There was no care in her voice at all. Just boredom and edgy defense, like she hated her.

"Why do you like killing so much? I read what you did. You've killed so many people and for what?"

"They pissed me off, got in my way, were there at the wrong time. What do you want me to say? I figure every time I kill somebody it makes me better, stronger. You ever killed someone, Kat? It's a good feeling. Better than any drug and I need it." She said. "I kill because it's what I'm good at. There's money in what i do and there's power. I've run the top three gangs and people fear me. I kill who I don't like."

"Will you work with the Alliance?" She asked.

"Only if I get what I want." She said.

"What's that?"

"Patch me through to the Captain. He wants to talk, I'm ready." Kat nodded, pulling up the display on her omni-tool. She messaged the captain. A few minutes later, he and the lieutenant showed up.

 

"Katerin says this is important." Banks said.

"We're gonna make a deal. I help you with DEL, you clear my name and put me back in Citadel Space." She said.

"No way, that's carzy!" Hanna objected, scoffing at the ridiculous request.

"We need her. She's the only on that knows DEL first hand."

"See, princess? You need me." She sung, laughing at her witha smug expression on her face.

"I'll have to consider it. You've killed thousands, Bishop. You've destroyed colonies, escaped from a prison ship twice. You're not even a stable biotic." Banks said.

"You can either let me go or I kill every last Alliance pawn that tries to stop me." She said. The look on her face said they all knew she could do it.

"We can't have another incident like Uraga. She gets freedom." Banks said. "But on my ship you're in a cell util I say otherwise. You will be shot if outside of you cell without right, clear?"

"Yep." Bishop nodded and shut her eyes. "How long 'til I'm recovered?"

"Fourteen days." Banks said. "I suggest you get used to being a convict again, Bishop." Banks said. Thugh it was probably just the truth, it came off threateningly.

 

"What the hell?" The lieutenant was the first to speak when Bishop was wheeled out of the room for a few tests.

"We need her." Banks repeated.

"So you're just goig to let a criminal walk free? Sir, you can't do that. You don't have authorication to let her go."

"No. She'll go to the highest security prison ship we've got."

"She'll be pissed when she finds out you lied to her." Kat mumbled, shaking her head. It was wrong to lie, Kat had that opinion. But to her? Perhaps lying wasn't always the bad choice but the right one. Even if they didn't lie to her, Bishop seemed the type to be brutally honest unless warping the truth was goig to serve her better.

 

Kat got many looks when she got back to the Monument. She couldn't blame them, her outfit was a bit obscene. On civillian soil she'd look strange for the gun belt. On an Alliance ship she'd look strange for the clothes. Kat was feeling bland, lackluster, detached. She ws distanced from what was going on. She felt she'd been putting too much thought into everything. Too much time spent on thinking about what had happened, what didn't happen and what would happen. She needed to cease her worrying and fretting.

 

The best way to do that was to throw herself against the lieutenant. It maybe wasn't the best idea, but it was the only one she had. Kat wasn't entirely sure what they were going to do, standing in the middle of the armory which was rather large, actually. It was almost it's own floor. The Makos and drones were kept here, but also the armor and weapons so they had all the room they needed.

 

"Alright, kid. Like this:" She bent her knees just enough, held her hands out before her defensively, protecting her stomach and face.

Kat did the same and the lieutenant threw a punch. Kat blocked it and stepped out of the way. The lieutenant tried again, but Kat dodged and hooked her foot behind Hanna's ankle, knocking her off balance but she stayed standing. By now a few had come to stand and watch while others just stopped what they were doing to watch from afar.

Hanna got closer and prepared to strike, her right shoulder tensing. Kat expected a blow from that side and responded, but found she left her defenses open when the lieutenant got her in the stomach with her off-hand. She'd not payed attention. Kat groaned and furrowed her brow. She was determined not to let Hanna beat her, which showed signs of being possibe with such a slow fight.

As if on cue, Hanna struck in a succession of three blows, one missing but two landing. Kat shook her jaw and mumbled an 'Ow' before trying for he own attack. The lieutenant jerked her head back and came back with another hit. Kat scrambled to get out of the way but tripped ad twisted, falling and catching her weight with her hands. The lieutenant took this chance to wrap her arm around Kat's neck. Instinctively she grabbed her arm to try and pull her away.

She wasn't pressing or even attempting to, merely holding Kat in place as she said, "Never turn your back on your enemy."

"I had no choice." Kat said, wriggling though she could breath fine and was only in danger of pissing off the lieutenant.

"You always have a choice." She said. "Try again."

 

They 'tried again' three more times before Kat was so worn and exhausted she couldn't even begin to think about counteracting attacks, let alone making one. Katerin wiped the sweat from her brow and sat down in the mess hall, drinking from a bottle. The water was cool and refreshing, the sweat that layered her skin needing to be replaced. She was vaguely aware of the bi of water that seeped from the corners of her mouth.

 

"Damn, lass. Look at you." Guppy said, taking a seat beside her. "Where'd you pick that up?"

"Hey, Guppy. So, what's your real name again?" Sh'd forgotten already.

"Coinneach McGrory." He said. "Aye, I'm a Scott. My own lovely lass is back home while I'm stuck up here in space after some baddies." Everything sounded so dramatic with his accent it was hard not to laugh.

"Do you know what we're doing next?" She asked, raising a brow.

"Not really. I'm not exactly the first to updated. You could try asking the lieutenant, but I see she packs a wallop."

"You saw that?" She said.

"Aye. It's sort of my duty to watch things, though that's not really my job. Jax and Maggie are supposed to be the ones to keep an eye on things, but us three have authorisation to access the ship's cameras."

"What for? Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"

"It's not like we're spying on everyone. But, kind of. I'm not really part of it, but Jax and Maggie are two senior officers in security so it's their job to make sure everything is normal."

"That could be handy when Bishop comes on board." Kat said.

"Exactly. As a matter of fact, that's my next task. 'Watch the convict'. I can't wait for her to find out about that." He scoffed.

"Why is she necessary, anyway? She's not going to work with the Alliance. She's a criminal- Omega scum."

He shrugged. "It's what the higher ups want. They aren't thrilled about our little group putting together so many misfits, though. It was the captain's idea to bring her on." HE looked around a bit, then leaned in closer, motioning for her to do the same. "I'll tell you a little secret, though. Bishop's got a chip in her brain. We can shut her down at any second."

"Does she know?" Kat asked, green eyes wide with surprise.

"Not a clue." He said. "Red Len's going to be her personal little psychiatrist until we get a real one in. Going to be flown in from a prison ship. She's supposed to be highly trained in cases like this."

"I don't think it's a good idea to bring her on board." Kat said. "She belongs in a prison."

Suddenly, the lieutenant's voice souned from behind her. "Well, if anyone cared what you thought we'd consult you first. I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself, Kat."

"Yes, ma'am!" Kat blurted. It was the first thing her mind thought to respond with.

 

 

Kat was back on the Citadel with the lieutenant and Caleb, looking for a lead. Apparently, according to the message Suvinus forwarded to Kat, there was a group of human fanatics who seemed to have ties with DEL, for 'bettering' human interests. Suvinus wasn't supposed to be on the case- he wans't even supposed to be concerned with DEL anymore. He and Ladaran were taken off the case when the turian hierarchy decided that it wasn't a top priority.

But Suvinus still wanted in. He had a suspicion, a gut feeling, that there was something else about them. Something that endangered all of them; anyone that DEL made a target be that humans, turians, vorcha or the asari. Kat didn't have an opinion yet, she just knew she wanted to kill every operative that DEL sent her way and she was going to have her revenge.

 

They arrived via tram shuttle, stopping in front of a cheap, run down hotel with shady under dealings going on in the darker sides of the streets. Women wearing less than any clothing, drug dealers and junkies that had already been hit up. There were a few less than reputable people standing around, watching the group of Alliance and, in Kat's case, hired guns walk through the lower part of one of the wards, as far from the prisidium as possible.

 

"Hey!" A woman called from behind them, just before they reached the hotel entrance. She was some sixty to seventy feet behind them. She had light olive skin, tattoos on her chest and arms and a foot of an electric blue deathawk. She wore revealing clothing: a white cloth top that was wrapped around her neck, over each breast in an 'x' then around her waist and a leatherjacket with studs down the zipper side and short spikes on the soulders. Her small shorts were made of equal leather, shining purple in the lowlight.

"What do you want?" Hanna said, cocking a hip and crossing her arms expectantly.

As the caller got closer, they coud see she had a labret piercing below her dark blue shimmering glossed lips and a near black purple headset on her right ear. She had heavy black eyeshadow and liner, virtually trying to impress and intimidate, or at least express she was an outcast, one of the few not following perfect trends on the Citadel. Kat noticed she had two guns over her breasts, facing each other at a slight downward angle.

 

"For you to leave. Ya got no business here, hon'." She put her hands on her hips, pulling back the edge of her jacket to show she had a sharp, raw-toothed knife strapped inside.

"It's First-Lieutenant , hood rat." Hanna sneered.

"Okay then, First-Lieutenant Hood Rat." She mocked, giving her a lazy, sloppy salute and rolling her eyes. "Answer's still the same. There's nothing for you here."

"I don't have time for this." She turned to Caleb and Kat. "Keep moving."

As they started to turn, the woman grabbed Hanna's arm. "Wait." Hanna gave her a warning glance, jerking her arm away. "You're here for that turian guy, ain'tcha?"

"What do you know about him?" Hanna asked, stopping again and giving the street thug the time of day, at least until her interest ran out.

"Just that he's here with his boss, some turian woman. She's furious. Somethin' about him being a slack off. They're not supposed to be here and someone is late." She stressed. She adopted a smug smile, sticking her hands in the waist of her pants and saying, "so my bet is that he's an information broker."

"Thanks." The lieutenant said, turning to go.

"Hey!" She said, stopping her again and draggiing out the conversation like she was determined to do. Kat shifted impatiently and sighed, glancing over at Caleb. He seemed indifferent about the woman, but waned to get out of the slums as much as anyone. "You need me."

"We aren't taking on someone without arms. We... don't... need you." She said, emphasising the lack of her necessity.

"Well, if you know how to deal with brokers and already know the guy then I guess you really don't need me." She admired her fingernails, not looking at them but for a brief glance.

Hanna sighed. "Then I guess you're on. For now. Let's go."

She snorted. "You shouldn't keep your turian friend waiting. Denaris doesn't like to be kept waiting." She walked through their group , hands down by her side and hips swaying.

Hanna looked over at Kat for a supportive gesture, finding nothing but a blank face and an opinionless companion. She sighed, giving a helpless shrug and following after her. They followed the woman with the dragon tattoo on her back and a signature above her low-rise shorts into the hotel.

 

It was dark and they could hear music throbbing from a back room, poker and blackjack card games taking place behind closed and open doors. It was an affordable hotel but it wasn't a very elaborate or over the top one. It wasn't even classy. The floor looked a bit plastic and the lights were an old purple, casting a dark, fantastical glow over the rooms. The poeple there weren't wearing any real outfit, just a white shirt, of pretty much any style, and grey, brown or black pants so long as they were dress slacks. There only appeared to be a handful of staff in the entire hotel, but it didn't seem like many more were really needed. Most were lounging about and smoking in their spare time.

 

Suvinus was leaned against a wall with his knee bent, foot rested against the wall. He nodded and pushed off the wall when he saw them, sauntering over and gesturing for them to stop at the front desk across the room from them.

 

The man behind the counter gave them strange looks and even nodded to a fellow employee, a blonde woman who flashed them a fake, wide, amused smile and held back a few laughs. "Welcome to the Citadel's Rest Inn. How can I help you?" She beamed, welcoming them to the inn and handing them a pamphlet that told them everything they needed to know about the hotel.

 

"I need to rent your eighth room." He said in a gruff voice. It was even more raspy and sounded like his throat was drying out. Her false smile was wiped from her face and she looked understanding, some silent coversation Kat didn't know the details of.

 

She nodded to the dark haired woman, handing her a key with a blue and brown feather hanging alongside a purple rabbit's foot. The two woman led them up the stairs in the back to the hall where the doors stemmed off. She took them to one close to the end of the hall and opened the door for them, wishing them well and a happy time staying at the Citadel's Rest Inn and then immediately vanished like there was something off about the room.

 

 

And then, as they passed through the second set of doors, they saw it. The rich, well outfitted man smoking a cigar. White suit, grey shirt and baby blue tie adorned him, glasses pressed tight against his nose, eyes flicking up from the multitude of tablets and screens on his desk. He smiled when he saw the blue haired woman.

"Ah, Angora." He said.

"It's Ria." She said. "God."

"You know him?" Caleb said, looking at her.

"I work him for. I was kind of expecting a 'take me to your leader' from you guys when I talked to you." She scoffed. "Daft much?"

He sighed and looked impatient with her. "What do you want?" An information broker was always busy, and he began to tiddle with his pads and tablets.

"I want to know where DEL is hiding Fortis Lyre." Suvinus said, handling the talk for now.

The man stopped what he was doing, looking up through his white rimmed glasses. "Ah. I see. I should have known Ria wouldn't waste my time."

"A wingman. A fledgling. A puppet." Hanna said. "Go figure."

"Your... friend is being held on a planet far from here. And I would say he only has," He put his hand in the air, index and thumb scaling away from each other. A countdown timer was displayed. Seconds rapidly scrolled away while there were only ten hours left. "Ten hours left. If you want to get to him in time, you'll need to leave soon."

"There's no way." Suvinus growled. "You bastard! That man could save lives!" He slammed his hands down on the man's desk, items jumping much unlike the unflappable man behind it. "Where is he?"

"You'll never get there in time. So, I'll tell you, for my own enjoyment." He chuckled slyly. "Rejxa."

"Goddammit." He hissed under his breath. He pulled out his gun, pressed it to the man's head- but hesitated.

"Suvinus, if we want to make it to Rexja in time we have to go." Hanna said, shaking her head with intolerance.

"Next time, broker." He said.

 

The group left him then, descendaing the stairs. When Hanna's hand touched the handle, they heard immediate footsteps bounding down the stairs after them. It was Angora. "I'm coming with you!" She said decidedly without asking in her voice. She stopped on the step she was on with her feet plants shoulder width apart.

"No you're not." Hanna said, starting to go.

"Wait. Lieutenant? She might be useful. She works for the information broker. She'll have picked some stuff up." Caleb suggested, shrugging politely.

"I have skills too. I'm a good thief- uh, I mean I can sneak around and stuff. Dealer says I'm the best 'Stealth' he's got." She said, jamming a thumb in her chest. "I'm light on my feet and I know how to fight with knives. C'mon, man. You gotta take me with you. I fuckin' hate it here."

"Well, liuetenant?" Suvinus prompted, turning to her.

"Get your shit and meet us at Repurge Hospital. You got ten minutes." She said without pause, open the foor forcefully and haughtily walking out.

 

Later, Angora did show up. Somehow, though, she met them in Bishop's hospital room. They were all surprised to see her when the door opened and it was her they saw standing there. She wans't supposed to be here. Only military personel who were authorised. But nevertheless, someone let her in.

"Angora?" Hanna said, looking up from where she stood across from a conscious Bishop.

"It's Ria. Dammit-" She broke off, her brown eyes falling on Bishop laying there motionless. "Oh, my God." She said, disbelief on her face. "You're really alive."

"Damn. Never thought I'd see you again." Bishop said, scoffing as she tried to sit up a bit. "You still smoke?"

"Yeah." She said. "What happened to you?"

"Nevermind that. Give me a goddamn cigarette." She said, making a 'come here' gestuer with a curled palm.

"You are not smoking in the hospital. You've got one lung, you're not ruining it on our terms." Hanna barked, looking pointedly between the two old acquaintances. "Let's get going." She said, standing up.

"Fine, Princess." Bishop said, rolling her eyes. 

 

They gathered their things wuickly, flooding out of the hospital and racing toward the ship. Captain Banks was waiting for them outside the ship, talking with one of the security guards stationed outside it's docking port. They boarded quickly, giving the captain and the pilot the coordinates to Rejxa. They still had to go throug the procedures, but it was rushed, not something the Alliance would typically dismiss but if they wanted to get to Fortis Lyre in time they'd have to get there before the ten hours was up.

 

Before they even left the Citadel, though she ship was moving full speed to Rejxa now, Angora had already started a video conference with Bishop, a holographic screen before each of them at their respective locations.

 

"So what's this shit about calling yourself Ria?" Bishop asked, flipping through the pages of a magazine she'd been given.

"It's my name. Angora Ria." She said.

"Angora Ria? Sounds like an STD I had one time." She said, looking down and sucking in the corner of her bottom lip as though she were considering something.

"Nhh." Hanna grunted, upper lip peeling up in dusgust as she walked past, mindlessly pacing the ship.

"Thanks. Good to see you, too." She said sarcastically. "Anyway, in case you didn't know, you've only got three days left before you'll be up and running." Angora said.

"How do you know this?" The lieutenant asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously and stopping to look her over with distrust.

"I'm an information broker's protoge. What the hell do you expect?" She said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Why do you two know each other? Or should I not be surprised?" Hanna asked and pointed between them.

"Jail, sex, drugs. Take your pick." Bishop said.

"We met on Omega. My sister was in her gang. Hey, Alex?" She said, raising a dark brow. "Cara is still alive."

"Fuck her. The little brat's not worth it." Bishop said.

"Cara is another friend of yours?" Kat asked, wondering just how many contacts the woman could have as a pirate on the run.

"No, she's my cousin. My aunt's kid." Bishop said. "Thinks she's better than me."

"Is she?"

"No, she's twelve."

"She's seventeen." Angora said, shaking her head. "She's not that much younger than you."

 

Kat didn't know how old Bishop herself was, but she'd have guessed early twenties. She had the spirit, spunk and build of such. Kat, however, was a bit softer around the edges. Her chest was... abundant, and her muscles, while perhaps not useless, were probably nowhere near as strong as Bishop's cut define.

 

The group stayed in the hospital room with her while she made determined attempts to flirt with Suvinus and convince him it was perfectly fine to take advantage of her while she was confined to the bed. Of course, like any man with a sound brain, he declined... less than politely. He seemed awkward and honestly put off. Bishop was bored ad though she knew Angora she didn't seem interested in talking to her, another reason why Kat had no plans of getting to know the criminal woman. If she couldn't even be bothered with a woman she had history with than she wouldn't be bothered with someone she'd only had one past dealing with.

 

However, after researching a bit of her actions and attacks, she was starting to see why she was needed. She was brutal. She stabbed first and didn't care to ask questions later. She was selfish, though. She destroyed colonies and blew up settlements and, on several occasions, a church or temple. She didn't care about human livs or otherwise. What made them think she'd care about helping them?

The alliance was crazy to recruit so many misfits. Kat, for one, wasn't military. She knew how to use a gun, but that dind't make her fighter material, as far as they were concerned. Bishop was dangerous, no dout about it. Suvinus and Ladaran weren't supposed to be helping them so she didn't think that even if Captain Banks wanted them would he actually get them. 

 

And yet, Suvinus went walking past talking to someone over a headset, someone who was apparently "laying into" him about his irresponsible actions. Kat could believe that this wasn't his first time going against particurlar orders, but then the military wouldn't stand for that either. If he was as bad as some of the others, specifically Hanna and Red Len, made him out to be then he wouldn't still be with the military.

 

 

The next few hours were tense. The crew was hustling around trying to find supplies, readying the ship for a fight if they had to and getting into the proper stations. Kat was given a pistol, but nothing more. She asked for a better gun repeatedly, but every time was shot down. A civillian wouldn't be permitted anything more than this. She probably wasn't even supposed to be with them, but nevertheless, she was. Perhaps the captain saw more in her than just a passenger until DEL wasn't still after her. Maybe that wasn't a wise idea, but it wasn't one Kat was going to argue with.

 

Kat felt stiff as she heard the voice in conversation. She wasn't in the comm room when the captain had the talk, but the Alliance headset she'd been given was linked to her omni-tool, activating it without her prior awareness. She heard them as the man talking to the captain, an Admiral Plevou, told them of a distress call not two minutes out of the way. Supposedly, DEL was responsible for the attack. It was a ship-to-ship fight and they had reason to believe that Fortis Lyre was being transported on the attacking ship.

 

The mission was changed and they wre rebriefed. they would all be going in. There weren't many of them, but it shouldn't make for a problem. Kat, Hanna, Banks, Caleb and Guppy were all they had to take with them. Jax and Maggie offered, as well as Red Len as a field medic, but the captain declines. The ships were supposed to be dead, no outward readings stemming from either one. Nevertheless, the captain insisted on having men stationed outside the docking bridge for backup.

 

"Captain, I want to go with you. Your team isn't big enough." Suvinus said, stopping them and breathless saying what he had. He shifted from foot to foot, moved about like he'd practiced saying this and had a whole convincing story lined up behind him.

"No. The turian hierarchy doesn't know you're here. You're going back to the Citadel the minute we get Fortis Lyre." Banks said, glaring. He didn't like that the turian was on board to begin with, let alone that he was strappe dup in armor with an assault rifle in his hand, requesting to go.

"I know what they said. 'It's a human problem, let them solve it'. They're wrong. It's everyone's problem and they need to step up to the challenge. I'm going to make sure of that." He said, pushing past the captain and walking down the sloped bridge to the other ship where the others stood in helmet and gear.

"Commander, get back on that ship!" Banks yelled, pointing.

"Sir, with all due respect, my military hasn't signed me over to your command yet. I'm on my own authority." Suvinus said.

"God, I hate that little feather brained bastard." Hanna said under her breath.

"Lieutenant!" The captain said, a bit shocked though he shouldn't have been.

 

They let Suvinus go ahead on his own volition, not far behind him though they were stepping over the bodies of random DEL slavers. that much was obvious when Kat bent down and scanned one of them to find recieved and sent messages discussing the trade of human beings. Even more so gruesome, there was a slint inclination toward the deformation and mutation of alien species, but it was only an assumed possibility. Maybe it was Suvinus' words hanging in the air or maybe it was a rightful guess. Either way, nothing was certain but then it wasn't before.

 

They got to a fork in the halls of the ship, Hanna, Kat and Caleb taking a left while Banks, Guppy and evidently Suvinus went right. It wasn't long before they were wrapped up in a fire fight, though. Once again Kat got to feel that rush of bullets soaring past her, firing shots from her own gun until she was out of bullets. Her clip was empty, but luckily she was bogged down with clips in the pack hanging close to her hip from her belt.

 

She reloaded, aiming over pop-up barrier that stood when she approached it. It was an extension from the wall in the middle of the room, seperating the clinic from the flow of traffic around it. There were resting- or fallen- bodies laying on the beds inside the glass walls, but they were of no concern right now. They weren't civillian and they werne't military. They were DEL and if they were dead, good riddance.

 

Kat fired her gun again and again, but no matter how many fighters they killed, they just kept coming. More and more of them piled out of the only door which made it easy for them to pick off, even for Caleb to set a bomb at the door with a tripwire between waves. Three died in the explosion, two were wounded. But that didn't solve their problem.

"They're flanking, take cover!" Hanna said.

"You take point, I'll take 'em out." Kat responded.

"Roger, kid. Don't let us down." Hanna said, couting on Kat to keep her and Caleb alive.

 

Kat ducked down and shot two of the operatives trying to get passed them. They were close, but a quick bullet to the throat and a second to the chest took care of them both. The pair were hiding behind a tipped over table to Kat's left. Kat took down the two that had tried coming between her and the lieutenant easily, but the others were smarter. They were flanking from the right, behind Kat's back.

Luckily she heard their footsteps and turned around just as oneo f them tried to slam the butt of their gun into her skull. She put her hands on the ground before her, spinning one leg out and extended, sweeping the attackers feet out underneath him. She put her pistol point-blank against his forehead and pulled the trigger. His friend started to fire and she felt a bullet graze her thigh before she could get out of the way.

Kat rushed her, grabbed her shoulder and kneed her in the stomach. She swiftly grabbed the assault rifle the woman had, pressing it against her gut and firing a bloody mess of a hole into her middle. The woman feel forward over Kat and she pushed her away with a revolted kick as she took quick steps back. Se stumbled ot the ground, landing on her ass and remembering to duck down with a quick hiss over the radio from Hanna.

 

IT was quiet. They were alone it seemed. Kat looked around, seeing nothing, hearing nothing. Her omni-tool beeped. It searched all the radio frequencies for use and found three. Two were silent and one was active. One... was DEL. It found a whole army of people moving their way that were logged on the radio line and Kat realised... this was just a small pack compared to what was coming.

"We have to go now if we want to live." Kat said. There was a brief window, a slight chance that they could slip past them without being detected.

"Let's move." Hanna siaid, allowing Kat to lead with her omni-tools map dispalyed out before her.

 

She watched for more red dots to appear, but so far wasn't finding any coming there way. Actually, she wans't finding any at all. She felt a sickening plunge in her spirits, a knot twisting in her gut as she stopped. She changed frequencies... and there it was. A large group before them.

"We have to turn around, let's go." Hanna said, not staying one minute longer where DEL was waiting for them.

"No, wait. I think they broke through the firewalls." She said. Her voice was ghosty and dramatic. She knew this was a trap when she saw on the third frequency another group behind them.

 

No one though to check the ceiling panels before four dots appeared overtop of them and DEL operatives descended from overhead, landing two on either side of them. One grabbed Hana, another Caleb and a third tried to grab Kat as she struggled and tried t pull her arms away.

"Yulus, get the ship out of here before they-" Her voive was muffled as the man restraining her grabbed Kat's mouth as she screamed. Her headset was thrown down and crushed under the fourth repeller's boot. She watched as her own consciousness faded away, Hanna and Caleb falling silent just before she too was victim to the drug in the rag over her mouth.


	2. Don't Test on me

It was a lazy mission. Just her going in by herself looking for what? A lost turian and five humans? They should have known better than to go onto a known rogue ship. It was unregistered and had '767-DEL' written all over it, at least down the side in bold, white text that they couldn't miss. How could they think that a six man group would survive an entire ship full of agents? This was a mobile training station for DEL agents. She had to wonder how daft they had to be to send only half their team and leave the rest on a ship that was then pillaged and taken hostage?

 

She shouldn't have been here anyway. She was the best agent SAIA had and yet was all alone on a quite dull rescue missions. She always hated rescue missions and her father knew that. And still, here she was. She wouldn't even get a thank you out of this. They never thanked her, just said "we'll repay you" and didn't hold up that end of the bargain. They might repay SAIA as a whole, but it didn't go into her pocket.

 

"Jacara Physcher, humanity's most dangerous spy saving lost kittens from a tree that says 'don't climb' when I could be off investigating corruption in the dalatrass' own circle." She said, tittering as she crawled through the vents. The Alliance team should have thought to do this. No more than their team could have crawled in here so they wouldn't have been pursued. DEL armor was too bulky so they wouldn't fit. They would have only needed to worry about being shot at from below, but if they had good shields or a biotic, which every team should have, they'd have been fine and Jacara wouldn't be crawling about in the ducts.

 

This was why the Alliance developed SAIA. Systems Alliance Intelligence Agency, emphasis on the 'intelligence'. They had brains, not just brute strength. If the military thought to try sneaking, they might not have gotten into this mess. But alas, if they grew brains than she'd be out of a job.

 

"...Come in, Agent Port. You there?"

"Roger, Carlos." She said quietly, tapping her ear where her miniature headset lay flat inside her ear like silver hearing aid between her helix and concha.

"Mission finished yet?"

"No, Carlos. I've been here for fifteen minutes, I know. But they attracted every DEL agent from here to the Terminus System and I'm in the ducts- again." She said. "I wonder if I'll ever be free of work long enough to go home to London. I miss the smell of rain and fog."

"Not until you get them all back in one piece. HQ out." He said. The line went silent and she sighed, shoulders slumping.

"Goodbye to you, too." She said sarcastically. She continued onward, slinking through on her hands and knees until she reached a drop. "Oh, shit."

 

She attached a sticky pad to the end of the duct from the vest around her torso. A line connected to her stomach and she let out enough rope for her to slide down, feet against the wall below her and back pressed opposite it. She grabbed the rope and took her feet away, slowly letting enough of the rope down to silently and smoothly glide down the shaft.

Jacara came to an end. She flipped upside down carefully. There wasn't a lot of room but Jacara was known fore being flexible and able to handle tight spots. She pinched the rope between her feet, stretching forward and noiselessly grabbing the metal barrier and holding it one hand as she slid the rest of the way down. If the readings were correct, she'd end up right above the cell in which they'd been taken to.

 

They were quite right as it were. She was left hovering in the middle of a cell when she came to the end of her rope. All six were accounted for. The first to notice her was the one who, while she was familiar with the others, stood out like a sore thumb.

 

"What the-"

Jacara held a finger over her mouth hidden by her helmet, then pointed to the two guards standing on either side of the gate keeping them held in. It was glass with the rest of the walls being metal. She folded up to release the clip on her vest, right side up before she dropped down. She grabbed the girl first, grabbing a single ball from her pockets and clicking a button. In an instant, it flew open and expanded into a harness. She slipped the girl into it and attached the line to her new vest.

The girl looked over at their captain who nodded. The girl was then lifted up into the vents. She could just barely hear the girl climb up and slowly let the rope down again. Good. She understood secrecy and the need for subtlety.

Next was the sergeant who, with as much precision as could be mustered for a rather broad man, slipped up the rope. After him was the lieutenant, the captain and finally the military commander who nodded an appreciative thanks. At least he recognised her rescue mission wasn't an obligation but a favor. It was nice for someone to recognise that just because it was her job didn't mean she didn't deserve acknowledgment.

 

Jacara came up the line feet first again, holding the latch in her hands. She attached it back and the joined the others in the shaft. She found them all dumbly waiting for her and she flicked two fingers forward for them to go. She'd follow as rear guard. It wasn't likely anyone would notice they were gone, at least for a few moments. Hopefully they'd have just enough time to make it out before that happened.

 

Unfortunately, Jacara's hopes were dashed. The moment all that weight made it to the front of the ship, it crashed. The vents were weak here, a screw was loose. It was their turian friends who did it in. They weren't a lightweight race and it couldn't support seven people even when Jacara had them all go across the section in question one at a time.

The turian went rolling out of the vents and hit the ground with a bone-cracking thud and a delayed groan. He sat up, clutching his ribs and trying to be as hushed as he could manage when he stood up in the rubble. Jacara was the second one to go as the section she sat on tilted down and dumped her out of the ceiling. He barely made it out of the way in time to avoid her.

'Go.' She mouthed, nodding curtly to the pair of eyes she saw peeking over the end of the vents.

They would be dead in a fight if they didn't move now. Jacara, unfortunately, didn't know her way around the ship just yet. She did, however, see a line of weapons closet panels to their right. She grabbed the aching turian's arm and shoved him in, shutting the door behind him and hiding herself in the one beside him as feet came pounding up the hall. It was a good thing for them that the closet panels lay flat and smooth against the ship wall and there was no reason for them to check every panel to see which one had weapons hidden inside. She knew it was probably cramped for the turian with the guns behind their backs not making it comfortable, even for her.

 

She tapped her headset when she heard the patrol lead down the hall. "Carlos." She whispered. "There's been a hitch in the plan. Myself and one other are out of the vents. Give me a visual of the ship layout." She said.

 

From her omni-tool, which was pressed close to her in the confined space, she could see they were several yards form the docking port. It wouldn't take them three minutes to reach it if they ran, but that wasn't counting time for a fight if they were discovered. "Show me hostiles." She said. A patrol of ten lay ahead. She sighed, head hitting the gun rack behind her. "Great."

 

She didn't see anyone coming toward them or near them. She stepped out and pulled the turian out of the closet, not moving as he stumbled out, his face close to her masked one as she pulled him down to meet her. "You make one noise and we're dead. Follow my lead." She said. His pumpkin eyes were wide with surprise and she let him go in a jerky movement.

 

Her walked quietly after her. He didn't seem to like that he didn't have a gun, but she wasn't paying him any mind. She didn't even look over her shoulder but to make sure he was still there. She read the purple and black map with an orange border again. Still ten, but the last was far enough away that he'd be easy to kill and sneak past.

She used gestures to bring the turian up to date on this. She again hushed the escortee with a touch to her helmet over her lips, then made a walking motion with two fingers to signal walking. She then pointed to the red dot on the map and then 'crushed' it in a fist. He flinched and nodded.

 

She had him stay close as she moved behind the man, getting into position to grab his jaw, mouth covered. She pulled his head to the side, snapping his neck. His eyes were wide in fear when she laid his body down on the ground behind the wall. She glanced back at the turian and went forward.

 

As she suspected she could, she got everyone out with limited contact. They caught up to the rest of the stranded Alliance soldiers as they were running toward the ship. It was good to see no one was wounded or missing. All five humans and the two of them were there, standing in the bridge to the Alliance ship.

 

"I couldn't get through to the pilot. The ship's been compromised." The dark haired female said, nodding to the ship they stood outside of.

"Try it now." Jacara said, shutting the door to the docking bridge and letting it retract into the ship. She pulled out a control remote and pressed a flashing, green button like on doors hovering just above the remote. There was the sound of a super-sonic blast behind them. A noxious gas was released in the enemy ship that would kill any agents but leave the ship intact for research and study.

"Flight-Lieutenant Baker, are you there?" The blonde marine said. "He responded." She said, looking up.

"Agent Jacara," She pulled off her helmet and continued. "Shiva Physcher." She set her helmet down as the decontamination process started. "SAIA got the distress call you sent out."

 

 

Kat was now face to face with a beautiful woman, chocolate hair now falling down to shoulders as it was released from her helmet. It somehow managed body and perfect style while Kat's never did anything more than fluff out and hang straight. She had light, flawless skin and a red dot with a white flower between her brow. Her eyes were a grey-brown hazel that almost matched her skin and were lined by an array of long, thick lashes. She had a thin but gentle nose and a small dimple on her left nostril, indicative of a removed piercing. Her light brown lips were thick and pouty, but in all she looked soft and feminine and yet she had taken them through the ship without a scratch on them. 

 

She mus have noticed the gazes she was getting because she said, as the doors opened to reveal even more men looking her over, "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Suvinus chuckled. "Hah. Sorry, ma'am, but it's not everyday the damsel in distress is actually the knight in shining armor come to save your ass."

She might have smiled or it might have been a muscle twitch, Kat wasn't sure. She held her hand over her ear where the communicator was. "Alright, Carlos. Mission accomplished." She said.

"So, where's your ship?" Banks asked.

"They're docked at the station, clearing out dead bodies and taking what they can." She said.

"You'll be going then?" The captain said. "Thanks for the rescue. We were overwhelmed."

"Sir, I wish to place a request into your mission. You are understaffed. Inappropriately numbered for this mission."

"What do we look like? A recruitment agency?" Hanna said, shaking her head.

"No, you look like a group of marines who leaves most of their crew on board to take on seven levels of a DEL cruiser." She returned. "Sir, you need me. I've been working on the 767-DEL case for a full three months longer than you. I'm the reason you have an Operation DEL Freedom. Ask my father."

"Your father is Winston Bennette, head of the Intelligence Agency?" Banks asked. Jacara nodded and he sighed gruffly. "I see. Well, I suppose you do have a right to be here."

"Yes, I do." She said. "Oh, and you might want to go get your little ruffian. She's... destroying Repurge Hospital right now."

"What about Fortis Lyre?" Suvinus said, bringing up a fine point.

"The fat one? SAIA already has him and is conducting an interrogation. It seems you were going after yet another of my suspects." Jacara said angrily.

"Another?" Banks asked.

"Oh, yes. Bishop was mine. I don't appreciate the lack of communication from your side of things, Captain. I was tracking Lyre when I got your call, but you're lucky I wanted on this case or I wouldn't have even been coming out this way."

"Then let's go get Bishop. She shouldn't be up yet." The Captain said. "Yulus, put this bird in flight." Banks said, shaking his head. "Welcome to the team."

 

"So." Kat said after the Lieutenant and Captain dispersed. Caleb and Suvinus were shedding themselves on armor in front of the lockers underneath huge words that were painted in Red against the wall above them that read 'Monument Team'. There were ten lockers, but it was more than they needed right now. "You're-"

"British? Yes. My family is Indian, if that's what you mean, but I was raised in London by my adoptive father." She said, looking over at her knowingly.

"How did you know that's what I was going to ask?"

"Because I've had to give the answer every time I meet someone new." She said. "I suppose I could stop wearing the clothes or not have gotten the tattoo." She said, tapping her forehead.

"It's a tattoo? She asked.

Jacara nodded. "Saves me painting it on everyday. SAIA wasn't happy about it, but it's a religious matter and they stayed out of it. Plus, my father is the head of SAIA. He's the one who payed for it. So, since we're asking questions, how did you fuck up so bad that they threw you in a bloody pit?"

"It was a trap. There weren't supposed to be any people on the ship left. We went in blind. And like you said, we're too few in numbers." Kat said with a shrug.

"Hmm. Agreeable." She said in study to Kat. "So, your friends I get. You? You're not Alliance, even if your shirt says so."

"I was recruited about the same way you and Bishop were." She said.

"...The pirate... is part of the mission?" Jacara said, her voice slow and her face ticked off. "Wat the hell are any of you people thinking?"

"That she hates them more than we do." Caleb said, coming into the conversation in an attempt to get Kat out of the line of fire. "The Prince is necessary."

"No, she's psychotic. SAIA has already filed her as a psychopath." She said. "Do you people even read the files?"

"Ha, no." Suvinus said.

"You're not helping." Caleb said, glancing over at him. Suvinus shrugged and kept walking. "She seems to have a clear head, when it's pointed in the right direction. We plan to control her."

"Because that's reassuring. You couldn't even control a simple mission. If you'd read through that distress call you'd have seen it was a trap." She said. "You brutes need my help." She said.

 

 

Jacara kept her armor on as they landed on the citadel once again. It was a good thing, too, since C-Sec alerted them as the ship stopped that their convict had made an attempt to escape and help was needed desperately. A Low-Captain wished to see them, apparently, so at least Ladaran was already on top things. It couldn't have been anyone else.

 

They rushed to aid the moment the shuttle stopped at the hospital and found several nurses and doctors hiding behind tipped over desks. The hospital was on lock down, red light glaring at them from the spinning emergency lights. A siren blared through the the speakers and C-Sec guards were either dead or incapacitated. Red Len was sent with them as a field medic, but she stepped over the bodies. The hospital staff would deal with them when they were found.

 

Captain Banks had them split up. Ladaran had been waiting outside the building so the two turians were paired together with Jacara. Angora, who had slipped out with them, was put with Caleb and Jax. Guppy, Maggie and Red Len were sent to look for her and help with wounded. Kat, Hanna and the captain went together and went on their way.

 

It was an hour before anyone found her and they spent the time fanned out walking over torn down beams, dead bodies, ripped out chunks of metal walls, patients that had been pulled from their machines in a storm of rage that didn't seem to be done on purpose. If Bishop meant to kill she wouldn't kill sleeping people. She'd go on a hunt after a live target that could squeal in terror and agony. There were wires and lines hanging down, torn out of the wall and ceiling and snapping with electricity.

 

It was Suvinus who found her alone, huddled in a corner and apparently screaming with anger and pummeling the already bludgeoned face and body of a C-Sec officer. Even once all the teams joined them she was angrily beating the long dead body.

She was naked with biotic power surging and spasming around her in uncontrolled waves. She had apparently already flung everything in the room around with her biotics, as well as bruised his body and thrown it into walls previously, and was now resorting to using her bloody bare knuckles.

 

"Should we... tranquilize her?" Kat asked, standing back about twenty feet with the rest of them.

"Does she even know we're here?" Jacara wondered aloud.

"You bastard!" Bishop screamed, her voice raw and exposed as she listlessly punched him one more time, blood gushing around her limp fist as she feel over his body, sobbing.

"I don't think so." Suvinus said. He, and everyone else, jumped as she let out a deafening cry of anger and hatred that no one could have expected.

"Ra-aa-aah! Die!" She shouted, grabbing the man's pulp of a skull and bashing it against the floor.

"Bishop!" Banks said, taking a step closer. The lieutenant seemed not to like him getting closer, drawing her gun and aiming it at her just in case. The captain put a hand on it and pushed it down. She didn't holster it, but she did relax it.

"What?" She sobbed, looking down at her work.

"Are you- Are you... okay?"

"Do I look fucking okay?" She snapped, flicking her gaze to them. Her blonde hair was mostly back falling into a part, but a few strands were hanging forward in her eyes and plastered to her face with the spattered blood that speckled her fair skin.

"Not really." Suvinus laughed.

"Fuck you!" She shouted, sticking up her middle finger in response.

"Alright, then." He said, shaking his head.

"This isn't funny, Suvinus! She's snapped. She just leveled a hospital full of innocents." Jacara barked, looking at him disgustedly. "I'm surprised she's not eating her own shit in the corner while whispering to 'the voices'."

"Who's the new girl? I don't like her." Bishop said.

"You don't like anybody. Why'd you do it, Bishop? What hit the switch this time?" Suvinus asked.

"It wasn't my fault. That damned 'Marcus' left the door open so I knocked him out and-"

"Wait, did you say Marcus?" Kat asked, pushing the others out of her way.

"Yeah, he was the nurse assigned to me." She said.

"Oh, my God." Kat said, picking up a turned over chair and taking a seat. She was started to feel lightheaded.

"What happened next?" The captain asked.

"I got surrounded. There were guys all around me and I panicked. I... used my biotics. It blasted out a clearing in the building, but it knocked out support and caved in the ceiling. I fell through two floors and then I ran. I killed everyone who tried to stop me."

"Why did your biotics knock out that much of the building?" Hanna asked.

"It would've been fine if the support hadn't crashed. But... my biotics aren't stable." She said. "I don't use 'em unless I have to. They didn't leave me any choice."

"You could've turned yourself in." Banks said.

"I told you, I panicked." She repeated. "Ugh." She rolled her shoulders sorely. "I think I broke my forearm."

"You didn't seem to have any trouble killing that guy." Hanna pointed out.

She demonstrated, trying to bend her elbow. Her arm from the shoulder down was exposed, showing off her biomechanics. The plating looked like scales, a smooth silver work of metal plates that worked in tandem to move her arm. Unfortunately, at her elbow, the gears and wires were cut and exposed. when she tried to bend it, more and more wires snapped and electricity flickered and snapped out from it. She then continued as her elbow then snapped backwards.

 

"What do you think, Princess?" She said, waving her broken elbow back and forth on creaky hinges.

"Kat, you're a mechanic. Can you fix her up when we get back to the ship?" Banks said.

"You still want her? She should be out in a jail, not on the mission!" Jacara argued, shaking her head, stamping her foot and flicking her wrist in emphasized disagreement.

"Yes. She was provoked. There's no reason we can't put a damper on her biotics and she'll be calmed. In the same right, we can regulate her temper flares with an implanted tranquilizer dosage release. At the touch of a button, she'll be given a sedative."

"Like hell I will!" Bishop said. "You're not putting jack shit in my body."

"Not now, Bishop." Banks said. "What about it?"

"Yeah, sure. If she won't bite my head off when I do it." Kat said.

"You fix my arm and we're straight, Kitten. I've already said that if you want my help you gotta give me my freedom. I don't go to jail after this and I'll leave you alone." She said.

"I doubt that, somehow." Suvinus said.

 

They went back to the ship, then. Bishop was put back in the hospital wing and was seen to her damage. No wounds or internal bleeding and her kidney seemed fine. The cybernetic implants fitted temporarily into her remaining lung were taking nicely and she'd be up and punching holes in the wall before long.

 

Kat was busy studying Bishop's arm while Suvinus sat in the room with her, watching her work and sometimes trying to help. Unfortunately, he didn't understand the mechanics any better than the average person so all he was good for was peeling back a corner of something so Kat could look inside without disruption.

 

Finally, Suvinus got bored and asked, "Does this hurt?" A fairly stupid question in Kat's opinion.

"Nope. I don't mind having you inside me." She said.

"That's not what- oh. That's vulgar." He said. Still, though, he could see a bit of a smile on his hard, turian cheeks.

"How much longer 'til you're done? My arm's starting to cramp." She said.

"Suvinus, hold this." Kat said. He gripped around the top of her arm. Kat grabbed just below and twisted, unscrewing her arm. "there you go."

"Ugh, fine. I'm handicapped again." She said.

"It'll be a quick fix." Kat said. "But I'm curious. Who made this?"

"BioMotion." She said.

"Interesting. I'll have to check them out in case you get hurt again. I might even be able to do some upgrades to your functionality. Ugh, so, you know," She sputtered. "So you're useful."

"Do that." She said. Her voice was brisk so much more so that Suvinus's deep flanging rumble.

 

Kat took the piece down and left the odd couple to talk. She was hoping that Suvinus wouldn't take up Bishop's offer and lay with her. The captain had already stated that fraternising was against regulations and had specifically pulled aside Kat and Angora to tell them that Bishop could not be courted.

 

Kat wasn't necessarily an eavesdropper, but she was when it was interesting. She pretended to just be rummaging through her rucksack in her locker while Jacara and the captain talked. Apparently, SAIA had already found something that might have been of interest. A cryogenic suspension machine, a disk that hung from the bottom of the DEL training facility ship they'd been captured in. Inside were a lot of dead, mutated aliens but there was one who looked intact, showed signs of life.

 

"Kat!" The captain called. She tensed, waiting for her ears to be boxed or worse. "Come here. Port has something she'd like you to hear."

"Port?"

"It's a nickname." She said, waving it off. "We're going back to the ship. I heard what you can do with a sniper rifle from the boys downstairs. I'd like to see yo uin action and show these inept louts how a real mission is done."

"What are we doing?" Kat said. She was a bit flattered that the marines at the shooting range had actually talked about her skill, and to Jacara no less.

"Oh, posh. Like you don't know. Sitting over there bluntly snooping in other's affairs." She said. "And don't try to defend yourself. I'm a spy, if you will. It's my job to catch you doing something you shouldn't be."

"Well... I supposed there's no point in lying, then." Kat said. "What do you suppose is in the cryo freezer?"

"Who knows? That's why we're going to go look at it."

"Why do you need me to come with you? I thought everything on board was killed when you released that gas." Kat wondered.

"Everything on the ship. We didn't notice the cryo freezer until now. Everything down there is still alive. Something got out and it's not happy. It's destructive and lethal force will likely be necessary." She said.

Kat pounded a fist into her hand. "Sounds good to me." She said with a cheeky smile.

 

They got ready, Kat strapping a sniper rifle to her back and a pistol on her hip, just in case. She had an assault rifle alongside the other on her back. She decided to leave her rucksack behind, opting to take the minimal. With how she'd ended up sneaking around in the ship's ventilation system she didin't ant to have to lug it around on a mission like that or, at the worst, have to leave it behind.

 

Jacara put on hard armor, a deep, dark metallic red with white stripes over the outer sides of the arms, legs and on her helmet. When they got in the decontamination room to leave the ship Kat went ahead and put on her helmet. It was black, glass over the eyes and mouth with a piece over the nose that stopped just before reaching the part over her brow. It connected to a circular filter just over Kat's mouth in the middle of the glass.

 

Kat looked to Jacara and then back to the group of people standing in front of them, waiting for them apparently. They too had their helmets on to protect them from the harsh chemical released in the ship.

"Agent Port." The man said. He had silver hair and stood with commanding authority. Two stood to his left and right.

"Admiral Harrel. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I'm overseeing this process. The subject was in cryogenic suspension. The ship was transporting it before the Alliance stopped them. When you released the gas it set off some sort of reaction. The tank opened. Whatever it is, it's loose."

"Understood." She said, nodding sharply.

"Know that we're not happy that only two people are going in." Admiral Harrel said before they departed.

"Noted, admiral." She said dismissively. She persisted past him, Kat in tow.

 

They took a shuttle to the cryo disk. Upon boarding, they found the whole place was on lock down. the doors were locked and there were alarms flashing and screaming in every hall. Kat was no hacker, but apparently, with a bit of assistance from someone over the radio, Jacara was. She got them through the first door and saw blood smeared over the walls. Entrails had been hung from the rafters and there was a woman's voice saying, "alert. All personnel; evacuate immediately."

 

"what the hell happened here?" Kat said, taking a step over something's arm. IT looked scaled, fish like even. It's fingers were webbed. Green with blue fins. It was... humanoid. What was DEL doing here? Something had left bite marks in it's flesh.

Jacara bent down and snapped a picture of it with a small device. She held her hand over her ear again and said, "Transmitting photo. Look at this thing. It looks human."

 

Kat and Jacara continued walking. Drops of something wet fell from the ceiling as they walked. If it wasn't red already the lights would have colored it that way. Kat could only hope it was just water, but she knew better. There was a clattering, crashing noise and Kat's whirled around. A dark shadow passed by the end of the hallway. Kat drew her gun, but whatever had created the shadow was gone. She had her omni-tool scanning for enemies, but with nothing to be on a radio frequency they weren't going to have much of a warning. Kat had earlier installed a heat scanner. As far as it could scan was fifty feet away and the distance behind them in the hallway was over twice that.

 

Kat's muscles were tight, her heart seemed to be in her head and her breath cold. The hair on the back of her neck stood to and she shivered. The ship's temperature wasn't what did it. It was the stillness, the eery suspense. Knowing that the enemy was nearby, lurking and waiting for them.

 

They could hear crawling like a four legged animal sprinting through the ceiling above them. Kat trained her gun, nervously anticipating the worst. She was getting annoyed now, frustrated and tired of the wait. IF this thing wanted to kill them why didn't it come out and do the job already?

 

"Look at this." Jacara said, crouching down over the body of a man in full bodied heavy armor with '767' on his chest and helmet. He was slumped against the wall behind him, blood sprayed over the area surrounding him and pooling beneath him. His heart had pulled out of his chest in a small, clean-cut hole like a laser.

"A guard." Kat said. The noises had quieted- for now. It was either watching them... or it was gone.

"Exactly. But what were they guarding? It should have been locked up. Was it loose the whole time?" She wondered.

"Only an idiot wouldn't have had this thing locked up." Kat said, shaking her head and dismissing the notion.

"Unless it was something else. This thing isn't alone." She said. "Keep your guard up. We don't want any surprises." She said. "Search the body while I check this out." She said, pointing to a terminal across the split in the hall.

 

Kat bent down over him, patting around his pockets and storage holders, looking to see anything useful. what she did find was a new scanner, a device bracer on his arm with a screen built in. This wasn't like her low-grade military level she had installed. This was specific and independently made by DEL engineers. It could detect different kinds of enemy biologies. It could tell a human from a vorcha, a turian from an asari. But more importantly, she could see that there was a flashing white arrow in the corner of the screen. When she touched it, the words 'Subject-247, "Kina"' floated above it. IT was flickering and occasionally something snapped and crackled in the device meaning it was damaged, but functional.

 

Kat grabbed it, ripping it from his armor. It's straps dangled from below it, broken from being pulled. Subject-247 wasn't moving any closer, nor was it moving any farther away. Kat didn't like this, but this was a chance to prove her mettle and show she was worth the trouble it would be to keep her on the team and not just to keep her away from DEL. after all, it would be easier to put her somewhere they could guard her and not have her on the ship. Part of her wanted to believe she was useful. She wouldn't be here otherwise.

 

Kat told Jacara about Subject-247. She looked it up in the index, finding entire pages on all of the subjects. They were experimenting on something but what they couldn't tell. The files were corrupted, deleted, erased. It was all intentional which meant DEL knew someone would come snooping around and they didn't want their tests results to be seen. Whatever they were doing, it backfired.

 

They kept moving until they reached the middle. They were put face to face with the cryogenic suspension machine. It had been torn apart and left in shreds of metal. The catwalk above the room was bent down in someplace where it, too, had been damaged in a fit of rage. Whatever burst out of that thing wasn't happy.

 

There were tank pods all around the room, cubbies meant to house the different pods. In some of them the green water held shapes and in others there was nothing. With lighting in only the left half of the room the right was left darkened. It seemed the creature that escaped from cryo had made it's way through the wall on the right, hence the destruction in that side.

 

Kat stared at the bodies floating in the tubes while Jacara scanned things for data. Footage from a security camera or a recording would be the most helpful, but any research they could get on DEL would be just as needed. The tubes held mutated beasts, humanoids. They weren't of any aliens species that Kat could recognise. Not even ones she read about in history class. Some were only half formed. Some had missing eyes, partially developed mouths, sealed up noses.

 

Some looked like they could have been turians, though they had no spurs, thin skin and no plating or any fringe. A few looked like vorcha, though they were more akin to humans with purple skin, large eyes and only two fingers. Kat wondered if perhaps it was a quarian, but it wasn't entirely shaped like it should have been.

The thing had arms that didn't quite extend fully, kept bent just before halfway. It appeared female and mammalian. Her ribcage was pronounced and her stomach sunken. Her shoulders were small and narrow, her hips were protuberant underneath her skin and her knees bending forward, but shaped more like a horse's hocks. It reminded her of the vorcha. Her muscles were ultra-defined and she had a few markings here and there like raises under her skin creating ridges and hills.

 

The things face was.. interesting. Her neck was long and slender, curvy even. Her mouth was a straight line across her square but smooth head. She had no defined mouth shape, no real lips just flat space. She had no nose, or at least none that Kat could see. She also had no eyes. Over her head was a kind of hood. it lay over her face where he eyes might have been with two long pieces coming down from the sides and each connecting to a ring at the ends. The back of her head was left exposed so the two thick tentacle-like extensions that came off from her head could come down to just level with her shoulders. There were ridges leading up to them on the back of her neck but the two pieces themselves were smooth.

 

 

For some, the glass containing them had been broken and the liquid drained. One in particular that Kat saw was half empty, the thing inside it barely breathing. Kat got closer, doubting what she saw. It was one of those purple hooded creatures.

As Kat got closer to look at it, the thing burst forward, slamming against the glass and breaking through. it shattered and jacara trained her gun on the creature. It fell over her, pinning her to ground and screeching like an angry Thresher Maw. It tried snapping at Kat, but she could see it had no teeth, only a long tongue. Kat pushed the thing away, knocking the hood off in the process.

 

It's beady black eyes that were close together closed and squinted. Kat could see it was blind, however, or at least in bright light. Kat pulled out her gun as the monster ran off, leaving Jacara and Kat bewildered.

 

"What the hell was that?" Kat exclaimed, waving a hand in the direction it left in.

"I've got no idea. Best I can tell, it was a vile pest that needs to be killed."

 

"Actually, it was a Nimxess." A voice said. It seemed peaceful, serene. But unlocatable. "A new species."

"Who are you? Show yourself!" A rattle like a snake sounded from behind them. Kat could see a shadow and something's tail flick as it slunk past, ducking behind a wall that led up to the catwalk. A hiss came from the previous direction Kat faced and she turned around again. This repeated until Kat was too angry and annoyed to let it slide. She'd had enough of this thing toying with her. "Stop fucking with me! You want a real fight, come after me!"

"Kat, don't let this thing get to yu. That's exactly what it wants." Jacara said, putting her hand on Kat's arm.

"No, I'm tired of this! I want to kill it and get back to the ship. Let's end this!" She said, loud enough for the creature to hear no matter where it was.

Laughter resonated through the area and it sounded evil, mad, powerful. This voice was different from the first one."You cannot stop me!"

 

"No, run human! Get out!" The voice was the first, the matriarchal voice.

"Stop fooling them, Kion. You can't protect them! Look at what the humans have done to us!" The second one shouted.

"The humans have given us life!"

"Wrong! The humans have banished us. I used to be beautiful!" The voice came from in front of them. It seemed to float down and stopped seemingly behind some debris in front of the room. "Look at me now!"

 

A golden woman stepped out from behind the crates. She had the shape of a female turian, but had smooth skin, no carapace, cowl or fringe. Her face was human. Her eyes were like a snake's and even the tongue she hissed at them with was not spared this resemblance. She had a long tail behind her and she had scales over her body.

 

"I'm hideous!" She shouted. "Humans are evil! They're corrupted! They'll ruin everything!"

 

Kat knelt down behind a turned over containment tube and fixed her gun on the wailing form, but Jacara rushed her before she could take a shot. The golden woman didn't expect it which gave Jacara the perfect opportunity to ram the creature with her biotics. They both blasted forward, but only the mutant hit the wall with enough force to be dazed. She stumbled forward and Jacara pulled from a pocket a tranquilizer. She pressed it against the mutant's neck and released it.

 

Kat stood up and holstered her weapon. "Well, that was easier than I expected. But we still have to deal with the other one." She said with a nod. This was getting to be fun work, but it was still a bit trying to keep up with the madness.

"We just need to find her." Jacara said negatively.

"No need."

 

They both snapped around, seeing from the shadows a dark figure walking slowly toward them. Finally, one leg fully extended reached enough light that they could see the peridot green sin of something's leg. Long, narrow feet kept on the balls of her toes and thin legs that stretched on to make up more than half of her body height. Her thighs were about the same size as her calves, small and lean.

There was a gap between her legs, about four inches, and her hips jutted out from her body. On the round of her hip halfway to meeting her waist were two gradient dark green ridges about two inches tall. Where her hips touched her small stomach there was a grey 'v' that pointed downward, only making her look even more tapered.

Although she was not... anatomically correct, she did have small mounds on her chest with hardly any substance. Her arms were thin and her muscles were tight and defined like the rest of her. Her shoulders had two ridges on either side like the ones on her hips. They were like a turian's cowl, though they were small and did not reach in the back or front. Her collar bone was below it's path and on her neck were two markings, grey as well. They were like two arrows pointing toward each other.

 

Her face was striking, even compared to the rest of her features. Her cheekbones were prominent, protruding from her face with sunken cheeks down to her square jaw. It almost appeared skeletal, in a sense. Her nose was much flat and rectangular, like a drell's. Her eyes were large and almond shaped. Her brow, while hairless, sat very low over her eyes, but had a shape to it that seemed more sorrowful and saddened than angry. Like the ancient Egyptians, she had black lines around her eyes. One flicked upward and connected to the end of her brow while the other extended down nearly to the end of hr nose, however not far enough.

From her cheekbones to the corners of her wide, thick lips were creases. her upper lip looked to be of a thicker, harder skin than her lower lip and chin where her skin looked soft. Under the crevices was a thin strip of grey of more grey skin and from in a thin line like a crack was a line from the bottom of her nose, stopping at the inside of her top lip.

 

 

"You... you're..." Kat stammered, catching over her words like a nervous child. She didn't know what to make of the spectacle before her. This was an extreme.

"I am... a turian." She said. "Or I would like to think so." She said, frowning. Somehow Kat felt sympathy toward her. As if she could feel the woman's pain in her own heart.

"I've never seen a turian without plating. What are you? No lies." Jacara said. She didn't seem to feel the empathic push that Kat did.

The mutant laughed. "I suppose you wouldn't have. I suppose... I am a hybrid. I am of human DNA and of turian DNA. I am... neither." She said. She stilled for a moment, then moved her legs as if antsy, or perhaps trying to shake something off of her mind. "Ah, where are my manners? I am Kina. I would assume you are both from here to recover me?"

"Should we want to recover you?" Jacara asked. Kat was about to make a comment, opening her mouth, but Jacara gave her a stern look that put enough fright in her she shut her mouth.

"You should." She said, crossing her lean arms. "I am the only successful mutant DEL has created. Would you guess that I am fifty years old?" She said.

"You can't be. If you're really a hybrid of human and turian DNA you'd only be twenty three at the most." Jacara said.

She was impressed, giving a half enthused smile. "Very good. In truth, I do not know my age. I can only suppose it is about thirteen months." She said. "But fifty years is all I could have lasted in that pod. Naturally, since I am freed, I assumed it had been so. But... I have a feeling something wanted me loose. And they did not understand the controls of the machine." The hybrid gestured to the ruined containment pod.

"Then you don't know what year it is?" Jacara said, raising a brow and putting away her gun. It'd been hanging from on hand for some time, not at all concerned with needing to fire ehr gun at the hybrid mutation.

"I understand nothing, least of all dates. I often asked the voices in the tank what day it was. They would never respond." She said. "Then I was put in cryogenic suspension."

"Which you got out of. How do you not remember this?" Jacara said, sceptical of her.

"Because I hit my head." She said. She turned so they could see the bloody mess on her scalp where she'd been slammed against something. "I have only had twelve hours to learn how to move my body. I fell from the third story." She said, calmly as though it were nothing more than a fact to be reported.

"Damn. Do you... need medical attention?" Kat offered.

"She'll be looked over on the ship. We're taking you with us, ah..."

"If you are looking for my name, it is Kina." She said. "Or so I have chosen. I am undecided on whether or not I like the sound it brings. What image does it conger in your mind?"

"For now? You." Jacara said. "Let's go."

 

Suddenly, before they could even react to Jacara's instruction there was a groaning of metal. the ground began to shake and there was the feel of something dropping. Suddenly, they were turned on their sides. The three of them and the body of the mutant that attacked Kat tumbled and rolled down the floor until they hit the wall. they smashed through the glass tubes. Kat felt a stabbing pain in her ribs. One of the shards had pierced her side, just along the muscles over her ribs.

 

Kat let out a harsh shout as she sat up, her body aching. It only seemed to intensify the burning wound, not help. Kina stood up from where she was, lending a hand down to Jacara who hesitantly took it. It wasn't of making an alliance. It was of assistance. Kina didn't seem too keen on making any pacts just yet, though a truce seemed wanted.

 

"Talk to me. What's the situation?" Jacara said, omni-tool pad on her hand glowing as she spoke to the admiral overseeing the project. She looked grim and nodded. To them she said, "We have to get out of here- now! The cryo containment disk is detaching from the main body of the ship. We need to get to the shuttle and leave."

 

Kina, Jacara and Kat rushed full speed to the exit. Where the structure wasn't already broken apart they could travel with less of a risk, but in some places it required a rerouting of their voyage. Kat was reintroduced to fear itself as the disk turned and tilted, dumping them and sending them sliding until they hit a ladder, pipe or beam to cling to.

 

They must have only had five minutes, but it seemed to take an eternity. Things crashed, snapped and tumbled past them. the weight of certain objects couldn't be sustained and it fell hurling past them, threatening to take them down with the ship.

 

It was too close for her liking before they saw the shuttle. It was precariously perched on the end of a ledge, slipping off with the lean of the ship. Jacara shouted something as though words alone could keep it from tipping over and she cried as she ran faster, pushing herself with the last of her energy to reach the shuttle in time. She skidded to a halt just in time to put one foot on it's floor and the other on the side of the ship, holding her arm out to Katerin and Kina.

 

Kat was last to the shuttle. Kina was already on board, strapping herself in as Jacara hauled Kat inside. The added weight as Kat stumbled to the edge was enough to send the shuttle falling, plunging down and leaving a dropping, sickening feeling in Kat's stomach.

 

At some point Jacara's bun had been ripped loose leaving her with a long ponytail whipping viciously behind her as the wind blew inside the shuttle. they didn't have the doors shut just yet, but so long as Jacara didn't get pulled out before she made it to the controls they'd be fine. Kina looked more terrified than Kat did, and that was quite a feat.

Jacara bounced past them, shoving Kat into a chair and forcing her to buckle in as she made her way to the controls. She grabbed the controls, madly typing away until she figured out how to pull up the two sticks for steering. She held tight and yanked back on them, the shuttle spinning in the air as the four blasters spat fire, pushing them upward in a steep angle.

 

the ride was shaky as Jacara docked inside SAIA's ship. they skidded halfway down the cleared docking garage, earning a few looks as spark shot off the floor and left gouges in it's otherwise perfect shine. Kina looked more green than earlier as she eagerly disengaged from the seat and nearly fell out of the shuttle.

 

 

"Dear God, land!" Kat whistled, grateful for her feet to touch the floor of the massive Intelligence Branch ship.

"Yes. I share your enthusiasm toward a solid ground to stand upon. I am... rather shaken." She said. Kat didn't think about it until she spoke, but this was the first time Kina would have been outside of a tube or in cryogenic suspension. A hell of a first impression.

 

After Jacara dealt with the stares, the confusion and anyway lecturing she was receiving, she was forwarded something to fill out about the mission and it's success and lack there of. they were sending out a fast recovery vessel to snag the falling device in a suspension with mass effect barriers. That way they could study the hybrids like Kina and the purple beast that had attacked Katerin.

 

Kina was dragged off down the figurative hall while taking the kicking and screaming aspect to a literal extreme. She was going to be interrogated for all that she knew of DEL and then likely experimented on. Kat felt guilty and from the argument she heard as she stood nearby, Jacara didn't like it either. She and an engineer or an overseer or somebody were standing in one of the many open desks in a row down the right side of the garage. The end of the garage was open with a mass effect barrier over it. Ships could come through and out, but they wouldn't' get sucked out into space.

 

Kat watched as an Alliance shuttle flew expertly into the dock. It was Captain Banks and the lieutenant. they stormed over like they had beef to settle. They stopped by the overseer Jacara was with. She crossed her arms like she had called them for backup on her side of the conversation while he had only himself. Kat wasn't expecting Hanna to make eye contact with her and nod curtly for her to come over and involve herself.

 

"... No, you're not experimenting on a living thing!" Banks snapped.

"Captain Banks, this is important." Jacara said. Perhaps Kat was wrong about her wanting not to harm Kina. "If it knows even one thing that can help us prepare ourselves against DEL then we need to know about."

"It? That's a living and breathing thing. Treat her with some respect." The captain said, shaking a hand at them in protest. Their rude approach to this was getting to him, and to Kat, too.

 

"Captain, I'd like to remind you that this thing- she killed seventeen guards on the ship. She shouldn't even be walking or speaking. She's only been out of a tube for a handful of hours. Less than a day, and she's already this intelligent? This capable? She's bred to kill, not fight the good fight." The overseer said to dispel the captain.

"I don't see how you can deem her a killer before she's even had a chance to prove you wrong or right." The captain said. "How do you know she wasn't just defending herself?"

"Look, captain Banks? We're going to investigate. You can either try and stop us, or you can relax and let us do our job."

 

Banks huffed and walked off. Hanna and Jacara stood together, not talking though facing each other and watching the captain instead. Occasionally they muttered about something, but indistinctly. Kat could see those two getting along with Hanna as the brawn and Jacara as the brains.

The captain was fuming. He seemed more and more irritated as time passed. They could see a 3D image of Kina, arms and legs spread. The information they had so far was displayed beside her. She weighed 135 pounds and stood at six feet. It was shocking she'd be so light with her height, but perhaps that was because of her mostly being muscle and little fat.

 

 

 

Kat waited for what seemed like an eternity before someone came out of the interrogation room. Someone pointed to their group and sent them over. The SAIA agent nodded to Jacara and Kat, calling them over and silently leading them back to the room. It was soundproof, and Kat knew why. Kina wasn't making any noise, even when they got in there. She was sitting in a chair in the center of the well lit room, hands folded in her lap and a calm expression on her face.

 

Apparently, Kina requested that she see them. Jacara wasn't too thrilled, but Kat was, as always, curious. She must have thought that they could help her or that Jacara could grant her freedom. She didn't seem keen on it, however. Two guards and the man who leg them back stood in the room with them, watching as Kina greeted them with a graceful nod of her head.

 

"I never got your names." She said.

The man sighed. "She's been asking for everyone's since she got here."

"I would like to alter my own if it does not fit standards. I do strive toward normality." She said. "Does that make me humble?"

"No. Striving for normality makes you pathetic." Jacara said. "Anyway, that's not the reason we're here, is it?"

"It is not." Kina said. "But I would like to know who you are. Is this not a polite and traditional-"

"Cut that chatter!" Jacara snapped.

Kina looked startled. After a moment she said, "I will tell you what you wish to know. If you will allow me privacy. And please, there is no need to be rude or curse at me." She said.

Jacara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine." She said. The others fell out of the room and left them alone, the door locking behind them.

Kina took a breath and began. "The people who created me are evil men. I saw the things they did. Not through my own eyes, but from terminals all over the holding compartment. They are murderers, scientists. They are playing God. I am not the only of my kind. There are many of us, I know. I... lied when I said I had only been awake for twelve hours prior to our meeting or perhaps I have not. I cannot be sure." She looked away. "I was not awake as you would see it inside the tube, but DEL fed me knowledge. I don't understand how I know these things. I heard, but I could not communicate. Not until the last hour inside the tube. They asked me a question: 'What is your name?' and I responded.

 

"I was a success. I was their first self aware specimen." She continued. "I was not supposed to be awake, however. I was immediately transported into a cryogenic suspension. I was a danger. Something went wrong and I managed to escape from the machine. I am unable to remember what happened in my rampage up until the moment I saw the two of you. I recognised you were not of my creators, but of outside interests. I hoped you could help me. I see I was wrong, however. Perhaps I will learn not to be so trusting."

 

Jacara looked over at Kat and frowned. She walked over to Kina. For a moment Kat wasn't sure what she was going to do. Then she held out her hand to her. "I'm Agent Port." She said.

"Port. That is a four letter word, as mine is. Is this normal?" She asked, staring at Jacara's hand. Finally, she put her hand out like her's, but seemed surprised when Jacara shook it, staring at her own hand briefly afterwards.

"Yeah, sure." She mumbled. "That's Kat." She gestured behind her and then said, "I have been transferred to the command of a new Captain, Kina, and he'd like you to go free. Unfortunately, you can't do that until you've told us everything."

"You say unfortunately yet I have told you what I know. You are assuming this is not all." She noted. "Would you like me to clarify my previous statement?"

"No!" She blurted. "Is there anything else?"

"I have personal preferences and traits. Would you like me to list them?" She asked. "If I have any you do not approve of or find lacking, I would gladly improve my behavior."

"God, you remind me of Keire." Kat mumbled.

"Keire..." Kina said. "That is similar to my name. I am finding I am very comfortable with this title."

"We'll be back." Jacara said. She turned around and gathered Kat, leaving Kina to sit in the room alone.

 

As for the captain and his small crew, they returned to the Monument unhappily. The captain seemed to understand that they were doing what they were and no matter his opinion they would do it anyway. He seemed to have cooled down now, going to standing the combat information centre with the lieutenant not far behind him. She didn't seem to let him get too far, always staying somewhere nearby.

 

Kat went to the engineering floor. She got busy poking around and wasn't sure how long it was before Suvinus came down to see her. He stopped by where she was studying a terminal the Alliance had just in front of the ship's drive core. He didn't say anything, just leaned against the railing beside her and looked ahead. She found that a bit strange, but didn't care enough to make a comment about it or engage him. Instead, she kept on her work.

 

Suvinus stayed there, minding himself. There must have been something on his mind. Whatever it was, Kat didn't care. He was a friend, but she didn't need to talk. She didn't really want to. She was annoyed with how SAIA was treating Kina. She agreed with the captain. She was a being, a living thing. She shouldn't have been tied in a chair and interrogated, then tossed in a room to be, what, dissected?

 

She tried to take her mind off of it, but the only thing she could grasp for was Suvinus' odd take to Bishop. Or rather, her odd take to him. She wasn't exactly caught up in their affairs, but since he was idly sitting by it was the only thing she could think of. Kat glanced over at him and sighed. 

 

Finally, she said, "What do you want Suvinus?"

"Do you think Marcus is still alive?" He rushed. HE sounded like he'd been holding that back since he came down here, and by the relieved look on his face, he must have.

She was utterly taken aback. "What kind of question is that?" She spurt. "Of course I think he's alive."

"But he was in the hospital when Bishop destroyed it." He said. "She razed it to the ground. You don't think-"

"Suvinus, I'm going to ask you to shut up." She said. "I don't want to think about my brother being killed by someone I could easily put a bullet through."

"I see your point." He said.

She nodded. It was hard enough to hold back the thought of Bishop having killed so many people and not being in jail, but that she might have killed her brother? That thought made her want to end her miserable blight of a life herself. Marcus had been knocked out, Bishop said that much. But did that level get destroyed? She'd ot been able to contact him so even he wasn't dead, he wasn't answering. She suspected that the hospital was searched after the area was secured and Bishop was gone, but if he made it out alive... he'd still be hurt.

 

Kat finished up her piddling in engineering. She'd impressed a few of the others down there, one of them even putting her to work to help him with something best suited for two people. Kat was coming to find that while she might not have been on a friendship level with everyone shew as at least likeable. Jax was quick to talk to her and no one in engineering seemed bothered by her presence. At least she was feeling welcome here. She worried she'd be outcast and that they'd feel she didn't have a place here, but they were all treating her with respect. She was proving to be trustworthy and helpful. She didn't waste time finding something to do when she was on the ship. After all, she'd be spending a fair amount of time here, she might as well do something familiar to her. If she was good at it, all the better.

 

 

Later, the Monument team was gathered around a table in the mess hall with Bishop looking disgruntled. It seemed her off hand was not the one damaged and was leaving her to fumble with things. So, she took to just not doing anything besides loitering at the gun range and practicing her off hand shooting.

 

Jacara was perfectly content to read a wall of text on a handheld tablet, scrolling down and intently reading while things slowly fell from her neglected fork and her full glass of water sat idly by untouched. Suvinus sat beside her moving things around his plate. He said it wasn't "turian food" to which Jacara told him he could just unofficially leave the ship, since it wasn't on record that he was here.

 

Kat was still trying to keep her mind off of Marcus' silence and possible death when Jacara spoke up. "So, your captain. This... Ladaran?" She said. "She's not going to be happy that you're missing, is she?"

"She? I think you mean 'he'." Kat said, smiling a bit.

Suvinus gave her strange look like she had three heads. He sighed and shook his head. "Spirits, Kat, you've thought Ladaran was a guy the whole time, haven't you?" Kat paused and nodded. "I thought so."

"...Ladaran... is a woman?" Kat said sheepishly.

"And always has been." Suvinus said. Bishop laughed and called her something Kat would never repeat while the others, Guppy, Hanna and Caleb, all started to laugh. "You never thought it strange that she's always hitting on me?"

"I've never noticed." Kat said. Then it clicked. Whenever she was around, Ladaran and Suvinus would always be unusually close. On the citadel, when Ladaran hooked his, or her, spurs around Suvinus' that must have been... "Oh, my God! She's- Are you two... dating?"

Suvinus looked disgusted, even sounded so. "...No!" He scoffed, frowning as the others laughed or tried not to. Bishop had not met Ladaran, or at least not while she was in control of her mind enough to take note of her.

 

 

It was hard to say sitting there. Kat's cheeks had turned hot and she was sure even the tips of her ears were red. She'd never thought of how they interacted. It was a while after she'd humiliated herself and the others probably didn't still care but to remember it for a few giggles if they ever saw Ladaran again. Kat knew she was apt to make a fool of herself when she came on the ship, but she didn't think it would be that she hadn't noticed Ladaran was a female. She kept that helmet on so much that Kat never really got a good look at her.

 

Thinking of it, though Ladaran's skin was a creme colour and she had red paint like Suvinus'. It went over her nose, up into the middle piece of her fringe, a small square from her bottom lip to her chin and then over her cheek extensions where it connected to the line on her nose.

 

Kat noticed that Hanna was nowhere to be found. She must have been busy... or perhaps in mourning. Kat was familiar with the loss of a loved one. She wanted to talk to Hanna, gt something out of her. She had to be moping somewhere since Kat hadn't seen her bossing everyone around or being sour anywhere. But Kat never got that chance.

 

 

The lights in the ship turned off, the hum of the ship cooled and it drifted to a stop. Everyone stopped and looked around. Guppy, who was near Kat when it happened, mumbled some profanity. Vefore anyone could look to Kat and the other technicians and mechanics to fix the problem, every screen of every computer, tablet and terminal lit up. At first, it was bright white, blindingly so. Then it flashed between black and white like a strobe, causing the ship to seemed panicked.

 

A deep, electronic voice sounded through the ship. IT was the same, melodic tune in the background that Kat ad Bishop had heard in the elevator back on Omega. "Commander Blakely is dead and you're outnumbered, thousands... to eight." there was a pause, then a rise in the voice. "You will need help. Go, fetch the test subject. Recruit the turians, they know more than you do."

"What the hell is this. Yulus, get this problem solved!" Banks snapped.

"Would you not want to know your next assignment, then? If you want your hybrid back, you'll need my help. I am the best agent you have. I have access to all files DEL keeps you out of." A few of the screens turned black and white text began to scroll, a code of some sort. It changed again to display names, dates, places, summaries of people and reports on information DEL must have had. "I have files you will want to read if you know what's best for you."

The white of the screens seemed to get pulled into the center, turning the screen back and forming a white 'x' as it seeped away. After a few seconds of loud silence the ship returned to normal. The lihts returned to normal and everything was the way it was before.

 

"What the hell was that?" Kat asked, looking around as Hanna came jogging up the stairs to where they stood in the CIC.

"Keyes," Banks said, calling her over. "Tell me you know who that bastard is."

"No, sir. There wasn't enough time to trace the call." She said, frowning. "It seemed like there were different locations. Every one led to a dead end. Our omni-tools were fried when any of us finally locked on the location."

He squeezed the bridge of his nose. "What was in those files?"

Kat spoke up, opening a tab on her omni-tool. "It looks like DEL's made plans. A distress call went out from a remote facility just off... off of Polius." She said, looking solemn. "Something went wrong and DEL never got the message. It seems like out hacker intercepted the call before it reached them. It's abandoned."

"We should take a look." Jacara said. She and the rest of the special team came to stand behind the captain, joinig the conversation. The captain nodded. IT seemed Kat would be getting closer to home than she thought she would. It was time for payback.


	3. Chapter 3

This time, it was serious. When Kat had made up her mind that she would help the Alliance she'd tried to convince herself it was for her sister. But now... it was for al of them. It was for her, it was for her brother, and it was for Rhiannon. For the life that had been taken from them, even from her. If they wanted to ruin and toy with someone else's right to a family, to a normal life. IT was beyond normal now.

 

Kat was sitting on a sealed crate of ammunition, zipping up her boots when she looked up. She gathered courage from the others around her and for a moment felt a twinge of excitement, though she felt a bit guilty for it. They looked like they were all going to war.

Caleb held an assault rifle in his hands, standing tall and proud. Hanna stood by him with her rifle dangling from her hand while she talked over her headset to someone, perhaps securing and verifying a connection to the radio team. Everyone was ready. Suvinus had just put on his helmet, Jacara had zipped up her flexible light weight armor and had put a pistol on her hip and a sniper rifle on her back. Everyone had at least one pistol and one knife, however Bishop managed to secure at least three, though the only ones Kat could find were the two strapped in her twin holsters.

 

She'd completely changed her garb. She had a white tube top that was sleeveless on the left side, though her right had was covered up with a black sleeve, a piece of buttoned on shiny material that covered her breast, leaving the bottom of her top white. The sleeve covered her forefinger and thumb, but left her other fingers black from her prosthetic. She wore a pair of charcoal grey shorts that barely came down far enough with a gun belt holding up her dual pistols. On her right, just above her knee was a strap for her hunting blade; sharp, jagged teeth on one side and smooth on the other.

 

 

Hanna nodded and moved her hand down from her head, the glowing circle on her palm and back of her hand vanished. She said, "Listen up people! We're getting the test subject back. Jacara..."

Jacara stepped up, turning around to face them beside Hanna. She folded her arms and held her arm out, a beam of light bouncing off of her wrist. An image of a man's head and shoulders flickered vaguely through it. "Admiral Harrel."

"Ah, Agent Port." the man said, shifting his weight and briefly disappearing. "I read the files you sent over. If the captain requests the subject to be released to his command he'll have to have a team of our scientists to oversee her health and direction. We're going to do further tests and install a greybox."

"A greybox?" Kat said, raising a brow.

"It will record and store her memories. It can be dangerous, but with this creature the greybox may be necessary." Jacara explained. She looked back to the Admiral. "Captain Banks has agreed to allow a small science team to accompany the subject. The surgery is also accepted."

"Good. The surgery will be underway soon. Harrel out." The line went dead.

Jacara turned to Hanna and whispered something, though Kat was adept at ferreting out everyone's business as the middle child. "There's been no new information on the subject. She seems to only know a few things about DEL."

 

 

Kat stirred in the shuttle ride. They all looked prepared and ready for a fight. Most of them wore medium or heavy armour with Jacara, Kat and Bishop being the only ones wearing something different. But even they put intimidation in their presentation. With Jacara being well known with her fellow SAIA agents, they knew everything she was capable of. For Bishop she was infamous. No one around her wouldn't be a little intimidated. And Kat?

These last few days she'd felt such a lack of her usual ebullience and cheer that she was left feeling scooped out, hollow. It reflected, too. She'd been spending more time training and working on her physique. She had nearly perfected her endurance. But Kat had never gotten much sleep. Her nightmares persisted and they were getting worse. It was making her sour and quiet, something even Suvinus noticed. She'd barked at him more than once for his dry humor and tactless sarcasm.

 

 

The shuttle finally landed and the captain was the first one out, the lieutenant only a step or two behind him. Jacara caught up and left the others to move in a small herd after them. Kat could only imagine that they were going as a bit of fear factor. Not that all of a ship twice the size of theirs and however many hundreds of guards were watching them couldn't take them down with a slight flick of the wrist, but perhaps it was something they'd at least take note of. The Monument crew wasn't to be messed with. After all, here was a ship full of the rest of them just waiting to told what to do.

 

Bishop had bluster. She had a boastful and pompous swagger to her while Kat was merely wishing to get in and get out. She noticed that when some of the people in the docking bay looked, they were looking at Bishop. They knew who she was, they knew what she had done and best of all, they knew what she could do. She also spotted Suvinus giving a few glances her way and Kat frowned, clearing her throat and shaking her head. She was going to dissuade this if she could but it didn't help that Bishop had chosen to wear arguably less than she'd had on earlier.

 

The group was met by a much smaller one, just the Admiral and two more behind him. Kat recognised them as some of those who were there before, when they first docked. No one moved for a minute, but heavy glares were exchanged before the Admiral finally turned around and led them into the room where Kina would be. To the side of the door, Kat was surprised to see Ladaran waiting for them. She felt a tad embarrassed to be looking at her, knowing now that what she assumed was a very effeminate male was indeed a very feminine woman of her species.

 

When the doors opened, they were all hit by the force of what was before them. It was a hideous sight. She was hooked to a large metal contraption that had clamped her arms and legs out straight. There was a steel mask over her head. She couldn't see through it. She probably couldn't even hear. Kina's ribs rippled under her pale green skin now a sickly greyish color. She had a small tube leading up to the mask that periodically transferred something that was a vibrant, luminescent blue from around behind the table Kina was on.

 

"What the hell were you doing to her?" Banks pressed, looking appalled by the treatment displayed before them.

"Relax, Captain. She's just in a state of medically induced coma. No need to get so worked up about nothing." One of the doctors already in the room said.

 

Across from the room were large windows that showed a brightly lit lab were people were obviously working on DNA samples. It was likely that somewhere in there Kina's DNA could be found. Kat felt sick. It reminded her of the place where she and Rhiannon woke up so long ago. It seemed like an eternity usually but it was coming closer to her now, raw in her mind. She could practically feel the panic that arose in her stomach when she discovered that she was tied down.

When she looked at Kina, she saw Rhiannon's face wet with tears, her pale skin turned red from the nearing heat of the flames and her frail hands reaching out to her. She could hear her calling her name and begging her to save her. Asking why she couldn't. Why Kat had failed.

 

Kat took a step back and gasped. Her chest felt tight and cold like she couldn't' breathe. She still stared at Kina but she was aware of Suvinus glancing over at her cautiously. She blinked and kept her gaze on her hands or her feet. She couldn't bare to see anyone in this kind of hell.

 

The group was locally spread as they waited for Kina to awaken. The captain had left with the admiral and his scientists to discuss her treatment and needs. Red Len wouldn't be in charge of her care, but something told Kat that she wasn't going to accept that very well. The doctor was bossy and she was on the captain's good side. If she wanted something she'd have it.

 

Kat sat on the bench outside the room and tried not to think of what she'd seen. It had never been there. IT was just her mind and her need for revenge reminding her why she was here. It hurt more than Kat expected though. She had no photos of her sister. There were a few of her brother and her. Marcus had always loved taking photos to capture the moment, but Kat hadn't ever seen the point. Now she wished she did. She couldn't say that they were both gone, but Marcus couldn't have survived. Not if he was anywhere near that cold-hearted bitch when she lost control.

 

It was Bishop herself who was pacing a small length of the hallway if she wasn't sitting next to Kat. Mostly, she just paced and flexed her prosthetic. She seemed to like the new adjustments. Part of Kat liked to see that they working well for her and wanted to put it through it's paces. But another part of her wished she had a remote control to choke her in her sleep with it.

 

Kat spent her time trying once again to contact Marcus. Since it was, as usual, a failure, she tried to see what fatalities there were in Repurge hospital. Hanna, standing beside her, noticed her actions. She put a hand on Kat's shoulder to grab her attention. She shook her head. Unlike her usual scowl, this look seemed more to dissuade her from doing this now.

Hanna's eyes said 'not here'. Kat nodded and sighed, putting the device away. She knew Hanna was right. This wasn't the place. If Marcus was gone than she'd not want to be in hysterics here.

 

 

The captain returned with the admiral. Each had a burdened expression, but it was the captain who spoke first. "I'm afraid that the levels of adrenaline and the increase in heart rate show signs of instability in the subject and she will have to be released with a sedative in a secured area. When the subject is ready, she will be escorted to the ship."

"What?" Hanna muttered sharply. "We came all the way here to sit around for an hour just to be told 'no' again?"

"Lieutenant, will there be a problem?" The admiral said.

Hanna locked eyes with the captain, a look that said she was more than displeased but also that she understood her place. "No, sir."

 

 

They returned to the ship, all of them more than angered but remaining silent. When the newest addition finally came aboard, there was a silence throughout the ship. Bishop popped the gum in her mouth so that she could swear about something while Suvinus actually trlled, much to Ladaran's dismay. Kat had learned enough of his behavior to know he found her appearance foreign, if not pleasing. Broad hips, extraordinarily thin waist and her small plating must've made her initially look like a turian to him.

 

 

"Good to see you've arrived." The captain said as he looked up at the small team of four scientists and one doctor. The lieutenant and he were mapping out different scenarios or planning ahead. He stopped near Kina and held a hand out to her. As with Jacara, she didn't fully understand the process of a handshake, but she did grasp it firmly.

 

"We didn't get much on your file. Frankly, we don't even know what you are. No offense." He said in his gravelly voice.

"I am Kina. And I would like to be thought of as a turian, as it is the strongest in my DNA." She said, glancing at Suvinus and Ladaran. "But I am neither human nor turian. You could call me Kion; DEL had given me that name." She looked away and changed the topic, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the talk of DEL. "I sense there are more pressing matters ahead." She gestured toward the screens they had glowing behind them.

"Actually, we're finished here. If it were up to me I'd see to this mission personally, but I trust my lieutenant. I have other things to attend to." He shared a glance to Hanna who pushed her chest out a little more and stood taller.

"Then shall I remain on board or will second in command monitor my progress?" She asked.

"If you're fit for duty then you'll be assisting the team in a standard run of Polius' moon, Kaigo." HE said.

"I see. I am a bit shaken, but I would like to be useful." She said.

 

 

 

They were already dressed and ready for action when Kina came on board so boarding the shuttle was easy. No armor they had would fit Kina so she'd have to be without. She didn't honestly seem like she cared about being naked. With nothing to look at, she wasn't even indecent. Every muscle on her body was lean and thin but she appeared to be in peak condition, at least that she was strong and lithe.

 

Ladaran seemed annoyed with something, slamming Suvinus into the seat against the wall, placing herself between Kina and him. Kat ignored them, sitting down pressed between Caleb and Jacara. It was packed with ten of them in there, and when she looked over at Suvinus she could tell he was just as uncomfortable as she was.

 

Bishop was the only one who wasn't' sitting, holding onto part of the wall to keep herself standing. She avoided looking at any of them, although sometimes she did look over at Suvinus. She didn't know why but she was starting to feel a little possessive. Suvinus was her friend, and as far as she was concerned, Bishop was her brother's killer. She didn't want to even be around her. There was nothing behind her eyes. No sorrow, no regret. Only distrust, hatred and bloodlust. She could see it in her. She wanted to kill.

 

But the woman was handicapped. How could she be so dangerous if she was missing an arm from the shoulder down, no leg after her knee and was missing a foot. How she was so evil when it would be so easy to disable her she couldn't comprehend.

 

"Quit staring, kitten, you're freakin' me out." Bishop drawled. Her features never faltered or flickered. She retained the same, bored expression.

"MY bad. I thought nothing scared you." Kat said sarcastically.

"Someone like you? No. I just tend to get pissed off when people think they're better than me."

"Oh, y-" Kat had started to stand up, but stopped when Jacara nudged her in the ribs and Caleb grabbed her arm subtly. Both were quietly pleading her to simmer down and let it be.

"That's what I thought." Bishop said, grinning smugly and looking away again.

 

She was furious. How could she be such a bitch to her? She knew what she had done and she didn't even care. She didn't even apologise for having murdered him. Did she even know? Did she even care? She didn't think anyone but Suvinus had even noticed she'd been trying to get ahold of him, but as usual nothing concerned him except booze and self pity.

 

Kat sighed and tried to distract herself. Being so close to Polius, the burning, desolate place that it was now, hurt. It used to be white. nothing but white glaciers and snow. Now it was blue, black and glowing orange from the chaos running thick to its core.

"Kaigo." She said, spying the moon they'd be landing on. It looked cold and far away despite how close it was. "I never knew there was anything up here. Some aliens docked once and they talked about a facility that they had passed. We were told that they must have seen the old military base, but they insisted it was running. I guess the aliens weren't lying."

"I am sorry for the loss of your home, Kat. It is something I have experienced. Even though they tortured me, I still feel sorrow for being taken away from DEL." Kina said, looking at her thoughtfully. She leaned forward and patted her knee, then said, "What you must feel, though much stronger than my own loss, is something I think I can understand. Perhaps we could console one another when we return to your ship."

Kat sighed, then forced a smile. IT was a sweet gesture, but Kina was strange. "That'd be nice." At least there was a chance she could get to know the hybrid. She was interesting and if Kat had the chance to make her fit in a little better it was worth a shot.

 

She was curious as to what this new one could do, exactly. Kina looked like she could handle herself, but then she couldn't possibly have had any experience yet. She looked as though she'd been well developed inside her tank, but she also didn't seem raw exposed like she would have imagined. The others must have pictured a deformed, hideous monster whose skin was sensitive to the ground and stung at every touch. Something that was sensitive and afraid of light and sounds. But she was normal and didn't seem any different from anyone else in the shuttle aside from her looks.

 

When Hanna started to exit the shuttle she was held back by Kina who shook her head and grabbed the pistol that she'd sat beside her. She held it ready and the others followed suit. It was instinct to react accordingly, drilled into their brains by years of military service or simply from a survivalist reaction.

 

"We are not alone." Kina said, nodding to the shadows falling across the ground from the hall at the end of the docking bay.

"They're this way!" A voice shouted as he and four other men came out, guns raised and firing. They all ducked back inside when they saw the men, just in time for a few bullets to lodge themselves in the inside and outside walls of the shuttle.

 

Kina was the first to shoot, firing at two. One bullet found its way between the man's eyes and the other landed in a woman's abdomen, then her throat as her body jerked with each offence. Hanna and Ladaran took out the next two as Suvinus leaned around the wall of the shuttle and looked down the scope of his rifle to get the perfect shot. He shot the last one in both knees and she dropped, crying out in painful agony.

 

Kat smiled at him, impressed. He'd thought to immobilise one for questioning, no doubt. She stood up and jumped down off of the shuttle onto the cold ground of the docking bay. The ground team moved swiftly toward the facility's entrance hall where the woman was trying to crawl away in vain, blood following her as she dragged her legs behind her. There were angry streaks like a paintbrush's memory leading up to her. It was beautiful... and sad. Kat was starting to adjust to the sight and smell of blood.

 

 

Kina pointed her pistol down at her while Hanna and Ladaran watched their surroundings. Kat and the others found places to keep in the shadows, though it was difficult. Hanna noticed a glass panel with something of interest inside the room it showed and alerted Ladaran. She kept an eye on it, but didn't want to startle anyone who would be inside, if there were any.

 

"Talk." Suvinus said. "What's this facility for?"

"I'll never tell you anything." She said, cringing and trying not to sob- or move. The slightest breath would cause her pain if it's so much as changed the position of her legs.

"Tell me or I'll shoot you again." He said.

"Go ahead." She said, snarling and taunting them. If she would be crippled she had nothing to live for as a DEL agent. Though, her knees could always be replaced. Unfortunately, DEL was smart. She knew they'd only kill her, so why give away information?

"I would speak, cretin." Kina said, placing one of her arched feet on her knee. She didn't press down yet, but it was enough to scare her.

"Okay, okay." She gasped, a nervous sweat on her forehead. "W-We've been testing on genes."

"Be more specific!" Kina said, stepping down just above her wound and causing her to scream.

"Kina, don't make too much noise. We don't want attention." Suvinus said, worried her method of interrogation would attract unwanted DEL operatives.

"I'm sorry!" The girl wailed as Kina stepped down again, this time much closer to the bullet's path. Sweat rolled down her neck and forehead. "Genetic mutation of the turian species. We've been... altering their genetic makeup."

"What?" Suvinus scoffed, startled.

"We're making more half-breeds" She said to Kina.

 

With a look of disgust Kina knelt down and put her knees on the woman's wrists and gripped the barrel of her gun, pressing the butt of it into her throat. The woman gurgled and floundered, clawing at Kina's legs. She didn't let up until the life had drained from the woman's face and her eyes fluttered, rolling back. As her eyes remained open, all they could see were the whites of her eyes.

 

She searched Kina's eyes to see what she was thinking, but they still seemed penetrating and devoid of emotion. She couldn't read them, but she might not have wanted to. Kina must have been more than angry. Livid, tortured. She must have felt like her wounds were being torn open again.

 

"Clear your head before you act, Kina. We can't afford to have you acting out like a child." Ladaran snapped as she gestured toward the entrance at the end of the landing pad. Ladaran and Suvinus stood on the right, Kina on the left while the others were either against the wall or waiting with their guns raised, as Kat was. Kina pushed the door open, holding her gun ready and keeping it held tightly in her fidgety hands.

 

One man rolled around the edge of the building. He started to hit a button on a panel attached to the arm of his suit. Kina fired at him before anything could be done and looked over at Ladaran with mockery on her face.  
"I don't think a child would kill a man so easily." She said, a look of challenge to the fellow woman.

There was something between them, some charge that Kat didn't care to understand. Whatever bone Ladaran had chosen to pick wasn't her's to meddle with and she'd stay out of it. Let that be their fight.

 

 

"Stop them!" Someone called, a scientist or doctor from the looks of his outfit. Coat to protect his clothes, sterile gloves and safety glasses that were spattered with a bit of blood.

"Not so fast." Someone laughed, their glee echoing in the hall as smoke billowed out from a bomb.

 

There was barely a silhouette of the figure that threw down a bomb that flashed and beeped. When the diversion of smoke arose there was the sound of a sword drawing across flesh and bone. No one screamed from pain, not living long enough to, but one man whimpered, turning and flailing in the smoke, waiting to see who was slaughtering them with fear in every twitch of a muscle.

 

And they were too, guns drawn and just waiting for the attacker to show themselves. When they did, it was only Kat and Suvinus who recognized her. The camera in the Lieutenant's helmet was able to transmit images over the comm channel. Kat expressed her familiarity, to which Angora began to try and search the files she still had access to from her having worked with the information broker.

 

"That's the same person Kat and I met on the citadel. Virus." Suvinus whispered, glancing over at Ladaran and Kat who nodded.

"Is she friend or foe? Is it even a woman?" Ladaran asked, looking through the scope of her assault rifle as the smoke cleared and the woman walked out, each foot placed with poise and certainty.

"Neither." He said with a shrug. "Or both." Hanna gave him a nasty look, thinking him stupid, probably. "And as for gender... You've got me there."

"She got me here but I'm not sure I'd call it helping exactly." Kat remarked.

"Put the gun down." Ladaran called. "Or we'll shoot."

"I think you'll find I'm more useful to you alive." She said, holstering her weapon in the sheath strapped to her back.

"And why would you be useful?" Ladaran asked.

"Because I know things. And... I work for Jaego." She said. Virus moved out of the shadows and into the light, though still leaving distance between them. She was still wearing the latex suit, but over it was a hodded shawl, also black, that created a dark shadow, leaving her face spared from visibility.

Kat looked over at Ladaran and whispered, "What's Jaego?"

"An insider intelligence organisation. Mercenaries. They plant a trusted member of Jaego into a group and destroy the enemy from the inside. They're deadly, but infamous." She said, shaking her head slowly. "You don't want to cross their paths."

Hanna bounced from foot to foot, then nodded at her and said, "Take off the hood."

"You don't need to know my face." Virus said, tilting her head. "You only need to know my help."

"She might be useful- let her live." Kat said, inputting her own opinion. If the lieutenant wanted to use that to her advantage, fine. If not, it was no loss they could deal with. They had Angora. Inside information could be obtained through a reliable, trusted source, though less easily.

 

Hanna looked over to Suvinus to see if he agreed. He, however, did not agree and shook his head."You wanna help?" Hanna said as she sauntered closer to Virus who in turn did the same, likely thinking an alliance would be formed. Hanna didn't stop but lightly pushed Virus aside, stumbling. "Then stay out of our way."

 

Hanna rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, getting ready to go into a firefight if anything was past this point. The others weren't far behind her, leaving Virus who watched them go. Whether she was offended or disappointed she didn't let on. With her face shrouded in darkness, Katerin couldn't tell what she was thinking. She was curious, though. She wondered if the woman was offended, whether she would perhaps have a vendetta. She was mysterious and Kat almost felt cold and wary around her as though she had an aura of warning.

 

 

Down the hall they didn't find anything to kill, at least not yet. It was quiet and no one was outside of any of the rooms. From talking to Jacara, this was a perfect example of a time when having a strike team would come in handy. An assassin could easily sneak in and kill anyone in the rooms. Unfortunately, that was their job now. She coudl see where SAIA's methods and tactics were better.

Kat caught notice of how silent Jacara and Kina both were. They were fluid and swift while the others were louder, clunky, heavier. Jacara was a bit nosy, but she was also strategic so it was likely she was already plotting something out.She and Suvinus must have been thinking the same thing because he pulled Hanna aside to whisper to her.

 

"Lieutenant, I think it would be best if we asked Agent Port for advice." He suggested.

She glared at him through her lightly tinted visor, then motioned to Jacara to come closer. "Port? What would you have us do?"

She was quick to respond, proving Kat was right in that she'd been plotting already. "I would roll a poisonous gas bomb under the door or put a gas in the vents, that way it covers the whole building. Keep the mission simple. Get in, get out."

"Sounds good to me." Suvinus said.

"Except that we don't have any explosives." Hanna said. "If there was ever a time when we needed Kat and her stupid backpack..." Kat frowned at that, shrugging the strap of the rucksack she carried over her shoulder.

"You wouldn't happen to have anything in there, would you?" Caleb said, looking at her hopefully.

"Hmm." She mumbled, swinging it around and searching it thoroughly. "I have four grenades. That's not exactly stealthy."

Jacara sighed. "I already hacked their security system but I can't help you if you get caught. Stay out of sight."

 

With the advice of laying low, they all tried to move quietly and it was proving more difficult in their heavy armor than it was for those in the lighter clothing. Kat had heels, which wasn't easy. At least for Kina, Jacara and Bishop they all flat soles or, in Kina's case, no shoes at all. But for the rest of them they didn't have sneaky attributes or the garb for it. They weren't prepared for a silent, sweeping mission but for one that was full of firefights and bloodshed.

 

Suddenly, Jacara laughed and they all stopped, turning to her like she'd gone mad. The last person they expected to laugh was the spy.

 

"I just realised- Bishop is useful!" She said like it was a shocking discovery. One that none of them really saw.

"Well, that's sweet and all, but what makes me useful?" Bishop asked.

"We have to carry around those tranquilisers. We can use them on the agents here. It's quiet."

Kat smiled and laughed. "Jacara, you're a genius!"

Hanna raised her brow, surprised. "Hmmf. I guess there is a use for Kat's backpack after all." She said, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

 

Kat gave them all a few darts from the supply she had stowed away. There was a small gun made especially for this use; shooting people with darts. All of this was, of course, made for Bishop and afterwards considered for Kina on the chance that she might have another episode of animalistic behavior, such as what she'd displayed before.

 

Now readily equipped, they separated into groups. Two stood on either side of the door while one person was in front of it. Kina and Ladaran waited while Hanna took point. Suvinus, Kat and Bishop were getting into position around the door, just as Jacara, Caleb and Guppy were. There were only four dart guns. Kat, Hanna and Jacara had one, as did Ladaran.

 

Hanna told them to wait before signalling Ladaran to hit the button. The door opened and Hanna was ready to fire, pointing her small pocket gun in the room. She actually grinned as she shot two darts, each followed by a groan and thud. Hanna and her group then entered the room to search it.

Kat's group was next. The moment the door opened, Suvinus fired his gun. There were more than expected in this room, as apparently Suvinus didn't have enough darts to take them all out.

 

"Kat!" He whispered harshly.

She whirled around the doorway to asses, kneeling down and firing. A syringe dart like the one they'd shot Bishop with back on Omega landed in a man's diaphragm. He stumbled back into a woman with a high bun and cat-eye glasses. They both tumbled, but she'd not been hit. She began to yell just before Suvinus growled in frustration and shot her. She involuntarily relaxed with a sleepy look in her eyes just before falling limp.

 

"Well, that could've been bad." Suvinus remarked, looking at the room. He nodded to Jacara who was waiting, then stepped inside the room to see what he could find.

 

Inside it was nothing but a computer centre. One long, horseshoe shaped desk spanned the room against the wall, computers, tablets and chairs all waiting for use. Kat stopped at one computer that was already unlocked. The screen had a DNA strand spinning across its screen. Next to it was a dish of liquid and something Kat couldn't recognise, but could understand had relevance. This must have been part of their testing on hybrids.

 

She could hear Jacara taking care of the problem in the room across from them, but she wasn't concerned. She was, however, startled when she heard a buzzing hum of electricity with a snap, a gasp and the dropping of the tablet that had shocked Bishop's hands.

"Be quiet!" Suvinus snapped.

"Will do." She mumbled.

"What happened, anyway?" Kat asked, more than a little intrigued. "That was your right arm, yes?"

"Yeah. Damned thing must be faulty." She said, rotating her shoulder with a whirring, circling churn from the gears and motors inside.

"Hey, I fixed the son of a bitch." She frowned, shaking her head. "It just seems to react poorly to technology. See if you can do it again."

"Not here. You can have a field test back on the ship." Suvinus said, tapping Kat's shoulder.

"Than it's not much of a field test, is it?" Kat said, frowning.

"No, that's the point." He said. He stepped out of the room to get Hanna's attention and added, "Hey, lieutenant. Come take a look at this. I think it's important."

 

What Suvinus had found, apparently, was the code to the door that would lock them out of the room they still needed to reach. Hanna was more than impressed, but she didn't show it for long. She merely downloaded the files to her omni-tool and moved on. They'd not found much else important other than a few files about DEL. That would be necessary later, but not for them. Their new science crew would get more out of that than they would.

 

Now, it was just finding those doors. They did a sweep of the halls, but for the most part, they tried their best to remain quiet. They had been luck to find what they needed so soon, but they didn't want their darts to be depleted too soon.

 

They regrouped and gathered themselves, heading down the corridor. As they began to pass a kiosk on the wall, its screen came online and, just like one the Monument, it had Virus' scent all over it. Three chibi rabbits skipped across the screen before stopping perfectly spaced and jumping up, spreading their short arms. They cast confetti into the air that sparkled and hovered in the message "friendly!"

 

"What the hell?" Hanna mumbled, impatient and wishing to get on with the mission.

 

The rabbits then skittered off and characters drawn in the same style that eerily resembled the nine of them walked on the screen, fully armoured and holding their weapons. Kat's avatar was even hauling a pack that was almost the same size as the small character.

Hanna's avatar stopped in the middle with Kat's beside her. The rest of them began dancing in place. They did what the rabbit characters had done and then Hanna put two fingers out, winking. Just as before, they began tossing confetti up to spell something. This time it read:

"You will find... that someone... you thought... missing is... still alive!!! ... !!!!!!... !!!!!!!"

Kat's icon did what Hanna had done and then Hanna tossed up letters:  
"Rhiannon!"

 

That name hung in the air even after the screen flashed to black and the memorable white 'x' appeared. Kat's eyes felt hot and wet, her nose pinched and her mind screaming. The wind had been stolen from her and she felt anger. Kat thought on impulse and balled her fist, slamming it into the kiosk's screen before she could help it. It crackled and shattered, scattering on the ground around their feet.

 

Hanna scowled at her and moved the group forward. Caleb stopped to touch her shoulder sympathetically and push her to move. They couldn't leave her behind, but they needed to go. There was little time to waste. She'd had enough. The dark circles around her eyes and the throbbing in her head seemed like the point of stopping, but she was wrong. This was only the beginning of something Kat couldn't stop. She felt more paranoid than ever.

Her while life she'd thought that her family was as fucked up as it got. But they were even worse and they'd lied to her every day she'd looked to them. And now, if what Virus had said was true, then she'd been ignorant of her sister's demise. But she didn't believe it. Rhiannon had died back there and no amount of praying each night or hoping and begging and reasoning could bring her back.

 

They got halfway through the facility before they ran into a patrol. Jacara directed them, having them all stand flat against the wall. The moment that they rounded the corner, though, Kat was the first to attack. She leapt on one man, ripping his helmet off and grabbing his head by the hair and slamming his skull into the ground. His screams only drove her further. She saw the shadows and heard the shuffling of footsteps around her, but she couldn't care less. She punched the man, his nose becoming a bloodied mess. She yelled as she grabbed his head, gloved hands red and slick. She twisted and his neck cracked, snapping and finally giving the brutalised man peace, if he wasn't already dead.

 

She panted as she looked up at those who were watching her. Suvinus looked a bit amused, Bishop was encouraging her with her arms crossed and a smile, but Hanna and Jacara were only glaring. They dissaproved, but at least some of them only looked startled or concerned. Ladaran finally held a hand out to her to assist her.

Kat's gaze locked on Bishop. She finally understood that night at Repurge. She didn't forgive her for Marcus' death, but she wasn't blaming her so directly. Maybe that wasn't the start of mania, but it led to it. For Kat, she'd just wanted to take out her frustration and grievance. When she fought she thought of how she'd been wronged. She wondered if Bishop did that as well.

 

The four with tranquilisers watched for movement, a sign of hostiles. Luckily, they made it to the back of the faciltiy without engaging in another fight. There were the occasional stragglers that ventured out of the rooms and individual labs. But if they couldn't' sneak past them, they shot them with darts, dragged them away and snapped their necks. It was a bit vicious, but it was what they deserved. Kat was more than happy to help with this.

 

 

No door had never looked so beautiful as the one to the research lab looked right now. They could get the hell off this station and leave. Being on Kaigo was murder to her. Out of every window she could see Polius. She could hear the screams Rhiannon made as she burned. She shivered when the memories played over in her head. The regret and guilt that layed heavy on her heart had forever changed her. She was becoming more and more unhappy when she'd once been an ignorantly cheerful person.

 

Jacara began to hack the door panel. It was heavily enforced, and the moment that Jacara started an alarm went off. Hanna berated her and reprimanding her for false assurance that the security alarms had been disabled. While they argued, Angora sounded panicked as she attempted to warn them about the dangers approaching. No one listened except Katerin and Caleb. If Bishop or Suvinus heard they didn't seem too concerned.

 

But the sight that was before them was enough to take the breath of Kat's lungs and rip what was left of her to pieces. It stung and it pierced and it hit her full force. It choked her and she couldnt' find the air to breath like a noxious gas had been released directly in her lungs. Everything she'd wanted and everything she'd been afraid of but never strong enough to imagine stood there, waiting for her.

 

 

It was.... Rhiannon. Rhiannon, with jagged, jaw length hair. Her pale, milky skin was now burned and scarred. Kat could see that most of her burns were on the left side of her body, her clothes doing little to conceal them. Her black vinyl, high collared, sleeveless crop-top and lowrise camoflauge pants easily displayed how much damaged had been caused by the fire's wrath.

 

Kat sobbed, the pain of seeing her entirely too strong. She started to stumble toward her, but was snagged back by the lieutenant's firm grip on her shoulder. She saw now the two YMIR mechs, as well as three Fenris mechs behind her. Rhiannon had brought a small army.

Rhiannon's scowling face was more menacing and much darker than Kat remembered her ever recieving. "Hello, Kat." She spat. "Can you even recognise me?" She scoffed. "How could you after you left me to burn?"

Kat shook her head. "No, no, Rhiannon. I never wanted to leave you. I tried to go back for you, I couldn't. Please, believe me."

"No!" Rhiannon shouted. Instantly, everyone behind Kat lifted their weapons. "You left me to die!" She growled. "You left me to die like a dog!"

Kat was flustered and she pulled free from Hanna's grasp. She ran toward her sister, but Rhiannon slammed her foot into the ground and a blast of wind knocked her back in a stagger. "...What?"

"Like it? DEL gave it to me. Along with the gift of sight... and the truth. I know you're working for the Alliance and I know you've got that insolent, androgynous little bug helping you. She can't help you. She can try. Or he. Or whatever it is."

"Virus?"

"Is that what it calls itself now?" Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Stupid."

"Rhiannon, please forgive me. I couldn't' reach you. Not with the fire." Kat said. "How are you even alive? I... I watched you burn."

She frowned. "Mmm. I suppose that's a fair question. Mother came just in time. She pulled me out of the fire and got me in a shuttle to Kaigo. Here, they gave me life. I assume you've figured out by now that DEL is far more advanced than society? They healed my wounds. I was near death. They scrubbed my wounds hourly and every day I felt closer to death. The pain was immense. And now... I am hideous. I am reminded of you every time I look in the mirror. I see what you did to me."

"No, Rhiannon. You see what DEL did to you. You can't trust them. They're working to eliminate all other species-"

"You think I don't know that?" She laughed. "I could look at your little pet and figure that out myself! I'm the head of security. Mother and Father oversee everything. I," She said, patting her chest, "see everything!"

 

Suddenly, Rhiannon put her arms up and signaled the mechs to attack. There were bullets everywhere and Kat had to roll to the side in an attempt to avoid getting shot. She heard someone behind her curse. If someone had been hit she didn't know, but she could clearly hear Hanna command her to fight.

"Take Rhiannon, we'll get the mechs! Do it, Kat!" Hanna shouted over the loud roar of gunfire.

 

Kat wiped herself off, grabbed the assault rifle on her back. She stood up, dropped her rucksack and charged her. She was able to knock Rhiannon off of her feet, straddling her as she fell. It was hard, but she didn't hesitate to strike her. She had her left hand holding her gun tight against Rhiannon's chest. She pulled back her right fist, just about to punch her when Rhiannon's eyes widened and she grabbed Kat's fist. She pushed and managed to overtake her, throwing her back.

Rhiannon's boots had steel enforcements in the toe. When her boot landed in Kat's stomach she coughed and whimpered, curling around herself. Rhiannon stomped and pounded on Kat's body, catching her in the ribs and the back.

Kat looked at the gun laying just out of reach of her. She stretched her arm out to grab it, but Rhiannon struck her in the face. Kat yelped and rolled. She heard someone say her name and turned to see Bishop kick her backpack toward her. She was grateful just long enough to show a sign of relief, but she was in no place to give common thanks.

She grabbed the pack and dug through it. She could hear Rhiannon's approaching footsteps and she hurried, wheezing as she grabbed the SMG she had inside it. If Bishop knew it was there she was surprised, but perhaps she was just assuming there as something in there Kat would be able to use. After all, she went everywhere with it.

 

Kat raised her gun, aiming just at Rhiannon's feet. She jumped back and winced, but she then laughed at her, tossing a grenade forward. Kat ducked, but the sticky grenade only attached itself to the wall near where her team was fighting against Rhiannon's newly arrived reinforcements.

"What? Afraid to kill me this time?" Rhiannon taunted.

"I didn't mean to leave you, Rhiannon..." Kat pleaded.

"Goddammit, Kat! Quit stalling and kick. Her. Ass!" Bishop cried, slamming her right elbow into one mech's face, destroying it.

 

Kat mustered herself. It was enough to shock her into reality. This wasn't just her sister. It wasn't who she used to be, anyway. This was someone who was trying her damndest to kill her. Kat lifted her gun and pulled the trigger, bullets flying erratically. A few lucky ones got her in Rhiannon's shoulder, causing her to scream and stop to press on the wound.

 

However, she didn't pause long and turned to one of the mechs at it ran past. She ripped out a part of it's leg, a piece of pipe or a pole. She twirled it in her hands and then stood in a ready formation.

Kat glared from low under her brow, shaking her arm outward briskly. Her omni-tool lit up, and when Kat touched a button, a long, angry orange blade flickered and loaded from the end of her fist. Her newly fabricated omni-blade hissed and a puff of smoke trailed up from it.

For a moment, she closed her eyes. She drew in the atmosphere. The seemingly slowed, motion of battle and the fighting around her. Then, she opened them and walked toward Rhiannon. She raised her arm and attempted a blow. She spun, struck, caught Rhiannon's hand and punched her.

 

Kat stabbed her in the thigh, but Rhiannon didn't slow down. She aimed her makeshift staff at Kat's head, but she missed, luckily. Kat tried for Rhiannon's chest, though she was afraid of making contact. That made every muscle tense and stiff. She couldn't' do what she needed to. Rhiannon could use that to her advantage. She made another move, sweeping the pole under Kat's legs and tripping her. She pulled her arm back and nearly hit Kat, but she was able to move her head just in time to avoid the blow.

 

Rhiannon's fist seared for them pain, but as she stood up and turn around and went to strike Kat in the foot. Kat grabbed her ankle, twisted and caused her rotate and fall. Rhiannon quickly recovered and rose to her feet. She got in a succession of three kicks, two to Kat's torso but one that got her well in the gut. Kat coughed and doubled over, but she raised her gun and fired.

Rhiannon fell to the ground, chrimson blood seeping from her wounds, giving Kat time to recover and stand. She could see that Suvinus and Ladaran were just taking care of the last standing mechs, while the others were holding off their position, guarding and waiting for any reinforcements that might arrive.

 

"Finish her!" Bishop yelled, stomping her foot and shaking her hand. She thrived on death and action.

Rhiannon looked as though she might have recovered. Kat didn't give her the chance. She dropped on her knees, readying herself to put an end to this bloody fight. But just as her blade reached Rhiannon's throat, she kicked Kat off and sprinted away from them.

"No!" Kat wailed, frustrated and devastated at the same time.

Hanna ripped Suvinus' sniper rifle away from him, aiming at Rhiannon's head. She fired a shot, but Rhiannon turned the corner at the end of the hall just in time. The bullet hit the wall behind her and became one of many.

 

Kat gasped and panted, out of breath from the emotionally and physically trying fight. Kat felt something trail down her flushed cheeks, but she couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears. She moistened her lips, chewing the insides of her cheeks and holding her eyes shut for a few moments.

"Kat, do you need a minute?"

"No." She said, taking a deep breath and picking up her backpack. She shoved her discarded rifle back into her backpack, but held onto her SMG. It was still hot and she didn't want it in her pack. Somehow, it even offered comfort. No matter what came her way, she was prepared. Though really, she'd not been able to do more than injure her sister. That might have even cost them. If it did, she regretted it. But she couldn't' kill her. She didn't have it in her to kill her sister.

 

 

In the shuttle, Kat wished someone would just yell at her. Degrade her every fiber of existence for having failed so poorly. But no one did. Even Hanna didn't seem angry. She seemed disappointed, but not angry. Caleb was comforting her. He reminded her of Marcus. The same touch that Marcus had with people and life in general, Caleb had it too. He was smart and careful, brotherly. Yet, the homesick and the fear of hurting Rhiannon made her feel nauseous and she tried not to vomit. The tears that spilled from her eyes didn't help and she folded over her legs on the seat. At least if she threw up int would only be on her and not on everyone else.

 

 

Kat was slouched and forlorn as she walked through the ship. She knew they were looking at her, but she didn't care. She didn't meet their gaze. She dropping her weapons on the ground at the lockers, not bothering to put them away. She let her backpack drag behind her in a screeching, mourning groan.

 

She stopped in the hallway, just outside of the elevator. She cried, her throat tight and raw and her eyes watery, cheeks chapped. She caught sight of a flashing on her arm and she looked down. IT was a new message. Excitedly, she opened it and despite her doubts, it was true.

Marcus... was alive. He'd responded to her many messages and pleads to life. She felt something new stir in her and she laughed, relief invading her system again. She read through clouded, drowned eyes to see that he'd been unable to respond and that he was sorry for having put her through so much worry. He asked where she was and what had happened to Bishop. Apparently, she and the others had been in the news story that covered Repurge's destruction.

 

In her response to him she told him she was with the Alliance, she told him that she did not know about Bishop (better he not hear that she did know about her) and that she was doing fine. She mentioned Benoit's explosive death and that Suvinus was with her. While Marcus didn't like Suvinus, it might have brought comfort. Kat didn't tell him about Rhiannon. It wasn't something he should know about, even if she could tell him.

 

As Jacara started to go past her to the elevator, she stopped her and asked her where Bishop was. The cell made especially for her was on the fourth level but as far away from the drive core as they get her. Apparently, her cell used to be an emergency pod shuttle, but they'd added a bathroom and furnishing and made it her place to live.

 

Kat pressed the button to open the door, stepping inside just before it locked behind her. The room wasn't awful. At least, it wasn't what Kat had been expecting. There was a flat, metal cot with barely what Kat would consider a mattress stretched out on it. She had a small metal dresser and all along the wall where there used to be cabinets for provisions had been turned into storage. Whether any of them opened she didn't know. There was a wall that separated the small room for her bathroom. In the opening where there should've been a door there was a chin-up bar that Bishop was choosing to utilise.

 

She stopped and hung there for a minute, them lowered and stepped down. "Hey." She'd changed back into her suspenders, cargo pants and boots.

Kat nodded and sighed. She held her hands behind her back and shifted. "I just wanted to say thank you." Bishop nodded, but didn't look like she knew why. "For helping me back there. It wouldn't have been hard if I hadn't gotten the SMG out."

Bishop snorted and waved her hand dismissively. "Sure." She sat down on the bed and rested her elbows on her knees. "You know, you did pretty good. Y'ever been in a gang?"

"What? No!" Kat shook her head fervently.

"It'd suit you." She said, looking her over. "You follow orders without question. You're not afraid to fight. You're loyal." It actually sounded more like an accusation.

"I'm not gang material." She said.

Bishop shrugged. "Your choice."

She paused a moment, then to fill the silence she said, "Marcus is alive." Bishop raised a brow, expecting more of an explanation. "My brother, and your nurse. You said he was there when you tried to escape Repurge hospital."

"Oh. That's... good?" She shook her head and lit up a fag between her teeth. "I know what it's like to lose family."

"Who did you lose?" Kat asked, looking for somewhere to sit. finally, she chose to just sit on the end of Bishop's cot, earning a strange reaction from the convict.

"My mother. She died while I was in prison. I was fifteen. Been in jail for four and a half years years until that day." Bishop let out a cloud of smoke and layed back on the cot, hands on her stomach.

"How did you escape?" Kat asked.

She shrugged. "That depends. I've got three answers." She held up a finger to count each. "One; The short version. Two; the long version. Three; The story the media wants to believe."

"Give me the long version." Kat said.

"That's a lot of effort." She complained.

"You offered."

"You asked." Bishop returned. She sighed and began, "Like I said, I was fifteen. I hadn't seen my mom since I was twelve when they moved me to a prison ship after repeated escape attempts. They also had programmes there that they thought would help me, but nothing helps. At least not what they can give me.

"I formed a... clique. I had a few so called 'friends' and actually met up with a few of the members from the gang I'd gotten into. When I got the news about my mother, I was devastated. My father actually called for the first time in fifteen years to tell me my mother had died. One of the girls that I'd been having some trouble with came up to me and mocked me for my mourning. I ripped her ear off and ruined her face. I doubt she lived. Probably better off."

She took a deep breath. "I started a riot. It wasn't exactly intentional, but it worked to my advantage. I killed so many people that day. It felt so good. So powerful. I managed to overtake the ship, we all did. But I got to the cockpit. I crashed the ship, blew it the fuck up and almost died."

 

Kat waited for her to continue, but she didn't. and gestured with her hands, rolling them and encouraging her to keep going. She was actually intrigued. "... And?"

"... And I blew off half my body. When I woke up, Xeeger was putting me back together. He's been with me ever since. He'd seen me before, on the news. Apparently, I became quite the icon of what happens when you don't teach your kids about violence, sex and substance abuse. Among other things. Xeeger actually looked up to me." She looked down. "Don't know what I'd have done without him. He got me back on my feet, you know?"

"Your right hand man." Kat said, standing up.

Bishop did, too. She grabbed Kat's shirt collar and jabbed a finger in her chest. "He is. And don't you ever tell anyone about him or I will gut you like a pig and shove it down your throat and let you fucking choke on it." She let go and crossed her arms. "But thanks, Kat. For listening."

Kat swallowed. "Yeah... anytime." After the door was shut she let out th breath she was holding and relaxed- or tried to.

 

Kat didn't like having intense run-ins with her, but at least she was only trying to get a point across but not actually harm her. Bishop actually seemed pleased that Kat had shown patience and interest. Kat understood that in order to have a well-oiled team, they'd need to supply the lubricant and actually try to get along. Jacara had told her that. If they clashed, then they wouldn't fight well nor would they be in tune to each other when it counted. Perhaps getting to know each other's vulnerabilities and weaknesses would help them to work together and better understand each other.

 

Kat didn't think there was much interesting about herself that they didn't already know. Bishop was too intimidating and Jacara had too many secrets. As for Suvinus, what else was there to him? He always gave honesty answers because there was no reason for him to lie. He had simply given up life. If there was a reason for it she'd gladly ask. Aside from Bishop no one was really taking an interest in him at all. Of course there was Ladaran who was always surrounding him and touching him, making her wonder if there wasn't something going on that she didn't know about.

 

Kina was the strangest thing, so saying she was curious didn't even merit stating. Everyone was interested, or so it would have seemed from the crowd around the area outside Kina's new dwelling in the Med-Bay's left wing. They were standing around, talking and spreading propaganda and idle fancies.

 

Kat walked past them only to be stopped by one of the younger recruits and Jax. Both were equally excited. "Kat!" They say, flagging her down and rushing over. "What's she like? Lieutenant Keyes won't tell us anything and Caleb says he's "too busy"."

Kat bit her tongue. "Um... I'm kind of busy myself." She lied meekly.

"What's she like? Some of the guys saw her when she came aboard and they say she's naked! She can't be..."

Kat sighed and looked around, hearing the familiar lilt of the Scott's voice. "Yeah, I don't really-"

"Scamper off, you two." Lieutenant Hanna walked over and scowled at them. It was as if the varying levels of her glares were enough to direct them without even needing to speak. "Kat, we need to talk."

"Okay." Kat said, a bit wary of what the lieutenant might have had to say. If nothing else, the woman was quick to anger and judgement and she didn't want to be called insolent for not immediately grasping something.

 

Hanna grabbed her arm and walked her over to where the elevator was, free of prying eyes or eavesdropping ears. They were all busy gossiping about Kina. Hanna herself looked a little urgent as she peered around before nudging Kat closer.

"Here's the thing; You've gotten close to Bishop- no one else wants to nor can they."

"Gotten close to her?" Kat repeated. "That's absurd. I haven't done shit."

"You talked to her." Hanna said. "You think we aren't monitoring her? We have people watching every hour that she's in that cell. We have to. It's a security issue, there are cameras in all of the halls and especially... in her's."

"So you heard everything? Does she know?" Kat asked.

"She might assume it but that's not the point. If you can get her to fess up to a few things, the Alliance would be extremely grateful."

Kat was silent for a moment. Part of her wanted to tell her to go to hell and that she was done doing favours for them. She was here for what she wanted- revenge. But the other part of her wanted to say that she'd be willing and that she was here to serve informally for the Alliance. She decided to go neutral and said, "I'll think about it."

Hanna was still a moment, obviously thinking on whether or not she was disappointed or satisfied nonetheless. "Yeah." She sighed. "There's a mission debrief in ten minutes."

 

Kat attended like she was supposed to, but she wasn't needed. Apparently, all that would be needed for this mission would be Lieutenant Hanna and, as the captain insisted, Bishop. They wanted to put her through her paces and see what she was capable of and though their personalities were clashing the captain, with Red Len's insight, thought that their styles would compliment each other. However, Len also noted that while their views were eerily similar, it was only their perspectives that were skewed from different upbringings.

 

Kat had to agree. She'd seen Hanna fight. She was brutal, and she didn't stop. She actually seemed to enjoy drawing blood from her enemies and watching the life fade out of them. Bishop did as well. They were both slaughtering, fighting gluttons for power, but Hanna seemed to at least have her head in the right place. They were both selfish, though.

 

Suvinus shifted beside Kat and crossed his arms, ignoring everything that they were being briefed on. It didn't concern him, so why should he care? Why should any of them, really? They were only going to be sitting on radio listening to Hanna, Bishop and Angora do the real work. The three of them were to go to the station that Suvinus had mentioned when talking to Fortis Lyre, Varrin Tance, and try to find the hostages DEL was reported to have taken. The station was the largest and most important station and it was reportedly abandoned. It was, as the last mission had been, a tip from Virus.

 

As for Kat... there was a fresh supply of coffee waiting in the mess hall with her name on it.

 

 

 

 

 

Bishop wasn't exactly excited about being taken in and then practically enslaved by the Alliance, but at least on the Monument she had every right to kick ass. It wouldn't be long before she left them anyway. She'd get her second- well, fourth shot at freedom and return to the Terminus system. This wasn't the first time she'd been in this position. Maybe not this exact kind of deal with the military figures that if she was their free muscle then she'd be granted another shot, but rather she'd been a prisoner before.

 

Being imprisoned wasn't heaven, but she seemed to keep getting caught. She'd only been free for five years. Before that, she'd spent seven years behind bars with only three people she was allowed to be around. At least this time she had an ounce of free will. She missed Omega for the first time since she'd left.

 

Bishop thought about many things before she finally fell asleep. She thought about her old life, she thought about those who had harmed her and how much she wanted to end their miserable lives and get her revenge. She thought about her deadbeat father and how he abandoned her and her mother like a coward. And she thought about Kat.

Kat was... different. She didn't seem like she wanted anything from her but she had to wonder why the hell she cared about knowing any personal secrets Bishop would actually give away. There wasn't much reason for her to care, besides seeing her as a good fuck or as a stool she could use. But Bishop wasn't a ladder someone could climb. She was missing a few rungs, and she didn't like it when someone tried to use her. Getting on her bad side was dangerous.

And finally, she thought about how long it would be until Ran'Xeeger started to miss her.

 

 

She woke up to Hanna's fist at the door and she groaned. She got ready, dressing in her white top, shorts and boots and applying her eye makeup and enticing red lipstick. Lastly, she buttoned her black sleeve over her prosthetic and grabbed her pack of cigarettes, sticking one between her lips as she approached the door and put in a request for removal.

 

She didn't know who monitored her, but she wished that they didn't. The door shot up and she passed under, twitching her hips as she walked up to the CIC where Hanna and Angora waited. She hated that bitch "Hanna". She thought she was so much better? She'd have been the same person in her shoes. Bishop had a hard life, she didn't need to take shit from someone like the lieutenant.

 

She looked left to see the turian, Kat and Kina standing by, observing her like a cinematic film that just happened to breath life- or death.

"Hey, Savvy." She mused, winking before grabbing a shotgun and two pistols, shoving them into their holsters and strapping the shotgun on her back. She glanced over the weapons rack, but decided they probably wouldn't let her take anything else.

"What's with the name?" Suvinus asked.

"What else would I call you? 'Vinny'? There's not a lot to make out of your name."

"Point taken." He said, smiling a little.

"Ugh, don't do that." She said scrunching her nose and shaking her head to get the image out of her mind.

"Do what? Smile? I guess I could be a bitter alcoholic if I worked at it." he said sarcastically.

Kat grinned. "No, she has a point. It is a little creepy when you smile. It's not just you; It's the same when Ladaran does it."

Suvinus frowned and mumbled, "Oh, yeah, sure. That makes it a lot less insulting."

 

Bishop was then loaded into the shuttle and given a curt lecture. If she acted violently toward any of her comrades, allies or toward citizens, she'd be tranquilised. If she seemed hostile, she'd be tranquilised. If she went rogue, she'd be tranquilised. If she assaulted an officer, she'd be tranquilised. Any sudden moves and it seemed like she'd be put under. She hoped they weren't jumpy.

 

Hanna was watching her with a close glare like a hawk, and eventually she couldn't take it any longer. She didn't get up, but she 'jumped' at her and laughed at her reaction, flinching away like Bishop would actually do anything. She wasn't stupid, but if she wanted to she could hijack the shuttle, land and call Xeeger. Unfortunately, the chances that she'd be able to get ahold of him and that they'd reach her before the Alliance got a good shot in and either killed her or took her back were slim. If she thought she had a chance, she'd take it.

 

They did land, however, without Bishop trying anything and she was itching for battle. She grabbed her gun and pumped it, ready for a good fight. Hanna was too. Under that helmet Bishop knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted a bloodbath, same as her.

 

They opened the shuttle door and looked around. It was just an average ship. IT didn't even have any markings that separated it from any other ship out in space. They jumped down and crossed the docking bay, waiting to enter the main area of the ship.

"Port, tell us what's in there." Hanna said.

"Hmm. Looks like... nothing. We don't see any heat signatures, no one on the radio frequencies. But be careful." She said.

 

Hanna glanced over at Bishop and Angora, then jammed the button. The door slid open and at first, they all tensed, expecting shouting and gunfire. They didn't think that even after a pause that nothing would happen and when they rounded the doorway, filing into the room, they still saw nothing. No signs of a struggle, no sign of anyone having left. There was no blood on the walls and there was nothing out of the ordinary about the placement of the room or even any indication that they hadn't just up and left the ship.

 

They pressed forward, guns raised and on full alert. This whole thing smelled like a trap. They got a tip from Virus about there being hostages from the colonies but yet there wasn't a single operative in the hangar, nor was there anyone in the hall just outside of it. Even the elevator was powered off. It seemed this thing was merely suspended with no one aboard it.

 

Bishop was waiting for an ambush. There were no lights, just what was on the flashlights on their guns. It was dead silent but instead of being calm she was only more disturbed. Silence could leave you alone with your thoughts, or it could make you suspicious. And right now, Bishop was thinking 'ambush' which was making her suspicious. Very suspicious.

 

They walked down the seemingly never ending corridor. They checked each room, while they were few and far between, but still hadn't found anything. And everything that wasn't offline had nothing to display, completely wiped of information.

 

The next room that they reached, though, held at least some use. They accessed a terminal that held personal logs. Once they listened to them, they realised that there was a batarian on board somewhere. Or that there had been, anyway. The date was of the same day and it wasn't from that many hours ago. He may have been one of the hostages but where he was now they didn't know. according to the logs, he'd been wandering around what the middle of the ship. he kept referring to a "pit" so they'd know when they got there.

 

With the ship being empty they were unopposed. Reaching the centre of the ship was easy. No one to stop them, no reason to. Unfortunately, that tiresome aspect wore off and Bishop got to scratch that itch to kill. A group of deranged batarians were waiting for them around what must have been the pit.

 

"You, humans! You're with DEL aren't you? We thought you left! Kill them! Kill them all!" Their leader shouted, standing to his feet and raising his gun in the air. Six others charged at them, firing from their SMGs blindly.

 

It was their poor tactic that saved them. None of the batarians were aiming which gave them the chance to dodge the fire and get out of the way. Bishop grabbed her pistols, crouched down a few feet away from Hanna who was standing and raining hell and bullets from her assault rifle while Angora's idea was just to run from side to side, shooting.

Bishop lined up hr shot carefully then blasted a batarian's head in two, splitting it right down the middle. "yeah!" She laughed, trying it again on another.

This time she hit him in the throat and he gurgled, falling to his knees and knocking into one in front of him, taking him out too. the other Angora and Hanna had gotten, but Bishop quickly stood up and pushed Hanna's gun down, practically beside herself as she strode up to the downed batarian. She grabbed her shot gun, beating into his skull with the butt of the gun. A bit of blood splashing onto her, over her tattooed skin and on her leather boots.

 

She was sure she heard Angora chuckle, but the lieutenant didn't seem to agree, calling her a street thug better off on the streets. Bishop didn't respond, the two of them already heading over to the pit in the center of the room.

 

It was huge, but all around it's walls were rims, and each one seemed to serve a purpose: to burn the decomposing, lifeless corpses carelessly tossed in there. There were hundreds of them, and they were all fully formed, at least those on top that hadn't been completely consumed by the maggots eating away and their rotting forms.

 

There was a shuffle to the right of them. Bishop raised both of her pistols, quickly dropping a clip and shoving two more in. Instead of any enemy, though she did raise her guns, there was a hunched over, cowering batarian. His gait was awkward and uneven. HE didn't appear to have any breaks or even a real limp, just fear inspired cowardice. Wen he reached them he grovelled before them and pleaded.

"Please, don't kill me. I'm not with them. I-I just wanted to get off this ship, but they wouldn't let me. You're not from DEL, I know this. You're not wearing their armour."

Hanna groaned when he reached out to her leg, shaking him off stepping back. "are you the one on those data logs?"

He nodded. "Yes. That is me."

"Are there other hostages?"

"No. I am all that is left, but I want to die. I don't want to be here. This place will make you go crazy. DEL did this to us." He whined, jittery and stuttering. He was emaciated, so they must have been starving him. He also appeared to have been beaten. He had a swollen eye, likely from a fractured orbital bone, and several healing wounds on his back.

"Can you tell us what this is for?" Hanna asked, pointing to the incinerator.

"Y-yes... yes. They used to use the pit as a threat to keep us in line, saying they'd toss us in if we didn't behave. They had been preserving the clones bodies and putting the defects in the pit. They b-burned them. But then, just before they evacuated, they dumped all of the bodies in there. It was set to burn if the alarms ever went off."

"The alarms didn't go off then. Why did they evacuate?" Hanna wondered aloud.

"Please, you're with the Alliance, right...? Then, please! Kill me! I can feel my sanity slipping. I-I can't take it! I beg you, kill me!" he said, standing up and grabbing at Hanna's armor.

Bishop raised her gun and fired, a shot that blew straight through his skull. Hanna dropped him, pushing him off as his blood sprayed over her. She angrily wiped it away from her face, though bits of his brain and blood still dripped from loose strands of hair.

"Ugh! God, Bishop!" She complain, flicking blood off of her fingers. She had streaks over her nose, chin and neck where she'd been unsuccessful in getting his blood off of her face. "We could've gotten more out of him."

"Fine. Next time, I'll let them chew on your throat." Bishop said. Ungrateful slob. She shouldn't have done anything. She tried not to laugh at the sight of a blood splattered Hanna. She glared at her, but ignored her comment and didn't bother with a responding remark but instead started to look for something else they could use.

 

Hanna's headset chirped as she stepped around one of the fallen bodies of the paranoid batarians. All they had been able to find were the lifeless, decomposing shells of the dead in the huge pit, but nothing that would actually help them. All that was behind these walls was the smell of rot trapped in. It made the air heavy, but Bishop was accustomed to the stench of death. They must have had some reason for keeping their bodies, but if they'd been preserving them why would they decide to dump them and evacuate? Why not take the bodies with them? Or set off the alarms?

 

Hanna holstered her gun and turned to pace in front of the others while she tapped the earpiece she wore. She kept her eyes locked on Bishop with a dissagreeing expression that the she often received from the soldier. However similar they were, their motives were different and neither would let anyone forget it. Anytime they were around each other it was more than just a little tense.

 

Hanna sputtered and scoffed, taken aback by something someone had said over the radio. "I don't think that's a good idea, sir." She shook her head. "With all due respect, sir... She's a dangerous killer."

"They're talking about me." Bishop said accusingly and suspiciously. She walked closer and planted her foot on top of one of the batarians and rested her arm on her knee, shotgun dangling from her hand. As Angora noticed with a turn of her stomach, she had blood and what appeared to be entrails hanging off the butt of her gun likely form her favorite maneuver; she was terribly fond of bludgeoning her enemies.

"Roger, sir." She sighed, tapping the headset again. "Move out." She said. Bishop shrugged and followed, boredly firing a shot at the batarian when he started twitching.

 

 

She was displeased with having no insight on the conversation, but didn't say anything on it. If they were going to talk about her, they could've at least included her in the conversation. Since she was just a free trophy that they sometimes used they could at least try to be polite about it. She knew they talked about her. She'd walk into a room and instantly quiet it. She liked it. It meant they were afraid of her. She could practically smell it on them. They knew the stories about her. But she didn't like Hanna scheming behind her back.

 

They took the shuttle back to the Monument where Hanna and Angora immediately went about the usual. It twice the time it took them to remove their armor and change into their shirt and pants, be called in by the captain and gather the non-Alliance crew, Bishop's weapons were fought away from her.

 

It was something they were going to have to get used to. If they wouldn't let her keep at least one gun or a knife then she would fight it. She wasn't comfortable without a weapon. It was like being naked and it was just one more thing to put her below the others. If someone decided to attack her or they needed to fight, Bishop had to go up three levels before she could even think of surviving. It was a basic need. If she couldn't' fight she couldn't make it.

 

Last time she'd kneed one of them in the stomach. This time, she had a different person to pat her down and she'd brought two more people with her. Each held an arm, but she was stronger than them on her own. With her prosthetic, they were toys to her. She allowed the man holding her arm in the stomach and then tossed the other off of her. When Maggie, the redhead trying to search her, tried to restrain her, she grabbed her fingers, folding them back and biting her arm. She'd completely crushed the bones in her fingers, curling them up like putty in her fist.

 

Bishop had just sunk her teeth into Maggie's flesh when Hanna cleared her throat and told her the captain was waiting. The blood that trickled around her teeth didn't stop even when she released and followed, slowly licking her upper lip with a wink as Maggie glared at her. As she'd wanted, Bishop got to keep her pocket knife. They hadn't found that before she resisted. When they got to the conference room, she saw that the soldiers as well as Kat, Angora and the spy were all waiting impatiently while she was gathered.

 

"I'll never understand why you have to take so long to board a ship." Suvinus shook his head with a shrug.

"We should've started ages ago." Guppy complained.

"Sucks for you, doesn't it." Bishop said, pacing angrily back and forth in the middle of the room. "Your bitch is lucky she doesn't need stitches."

He touched different panels on his omni-tool and watched the footage of the procedure. "You bit Maggie? You're crazy!" He exclaimed.

"She annoyed me." Bishop said as though violently assaulting the soldiers was a right she was born to. After all, they needed her. She had information they wanted and she was a valuable asset they didn't want 767-DEL getting ahold of. Maggie had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. When Bishop was in a hostile mood, which was always, it was never a good idea to approach her.

"Bishop, stop abusing my crew like it's your God-given right." The captain said with tire. It was beginning to be a common thing for him to have to say and yet he still had to. He would always have to. Until there were real consequences, she wouldn't stop. The only threat to her now was prison or death. They couldn't' contain her if they wanted to. Xeeger would come for her.

"Then tell your friends to keep their hands off of me." She growled.

 

He ignored her. "We have a new task. The information Agent Port has gathered from those files you found back on Kaigo has given us enough evidence we can safely say they run the blackmarket on Omega." He glanced at Bishop whose pacing stopped before picking up again. "The man who runs it is Anthony Gretna. I believe you know him, Bishop?"

"Yeah, I know him. We fucked a while back." She said. "But that's it." Hanna rolled her eyes and Katerin blushed.

"His family is arranging a marriage but we need someone to go in and get wed. You'll go in as Rebbeca Lescous and find out what he knows from his apartment. SAIA isn't interested, so we might have to do this ourselves if we want go get ahead of DEL. This is his fiancee." He pushed a picture on his desk forward as the crew gathered around it with the exception of Bishop. Sh was totally disinterested. The woman in the picture had a refined nose, large green eyes and hair a warm, golden ginger shade with arched, perfectly trimmed brow and soft upper lip line.

 

"She looks a lot like you, Bishop." Guppy thought aloud.

"Hey, she does." Katerin said as Bishop walked closer.

"Hey. She doesn't." Bishop said assertively and quickly. A second image shoed a full body shot of her wearing a tight black dress and heels.

"She has your build." Guppy continued. "Thin, long legs, curvy."

"No." She said flatly but stubbornly.

"And you did live on Omega and have contacts in the blackmarket." The captain joined in.

"No!" She shouted, slamming her fist down on the table, narrowly missing the picture which jumped with the force.

"I'm going to remind you we have your life in our hands." The captain said plainly.

"Fuck you." She spat.

He sighed. He had more tolerance than anyone else had for her. "It's settled. Bishop will go." She growled in frustration, hands through her hair. "And if she doesn't like it Guppy can shut her down."

He turned to Katerin as Bishop stormed around, pacing once more with her fist balled and she spewed profanities. As she passed the wall and hit it with the side of her fist, she left a dent. She'd used her prosthetic for emphasis. The sound of her gears whirring with the extra use was met by the sound of the crushing metal.

 

"Bishop, can it." He said. He looked back to Kat and said, "You, Ladaran and Keyes are in charge of making her look like this. Find a dress that can hide the tattoos and a new wardrobe that's appropriate. She can't blow her cover. Lieutenant, keep her under control. Just... don't let her look like a street-walker." Hanna smiled and Bishop showed off her middle finger over her shoulder as she paced. "I'll transfer credits into your account, Keyes. Just fix her."

"Uh-uh. This isn't part of our deal. I do your dirty work for you and in return I go free." She ground her teeth together. "I'm not going to go fuck around with the son-of-a-bitch who sold my shit!" She gestured to her torso, referring to her missing lung and other organs.

"Bishop, I'm not asking you to do this. I'm telling you. Besides, you look like her and he's never met her so he won't know the difference. Guppy will lead you step by step and telly ou what to look for. You can get your revenge by hurting his income and killing his dealers. After," He said after noticing the bloodthirsty gleam in her eyes. "You get the files and leave. He can't find out you're not who he thinks and we need those fields even more. Happy?"

"I get to kill those pigs I left behind. So, yeah. But I know what to look for. I don't need some Irish prat telling me what to do."

"I am Scottish!" Guppy corrected, highly offended.

"You'll have to listen to him. I don't trust you not to kill Gretna." There was no choice in this matter...

 

 

Bishop's idea of fun involved challenging gunfights, drinking and doing drugs. She also enjoyed dancing her beloved ballet in privacy to calm herself, though she'd pretty much given that up when she found drugs. She also liked flirting, smoking and sex. Bishop's profile said that she was a dangerous woman who had led a gang before going rogue, became a pirate. That she was a criminal who killed anybody she didn't like. A psychotic murderer, not a shopper.

She didn't go looking for much needed push-up bras, high-heels or fancy, expensive dresses. She didn't like the idea of wearing anything too modest and especially not dresses. She certainly wasn't in the mood for being a woman she wasn't. She had to be 'ladylike' or they would overload the system in her prosthetics and shock her.

She hated that she had been in an explosion but it was really starting to bite her in the ass. It was either have useless prosthetics among other body parts or have to put up with some rich, ungrateful, snobbish bastard who didn't remember who she was or know that she wasn't who she claimed.

 

That was why when she ended up in the dressing room of a Citadel store with Katerin, two saleswomen, Ladaran and Hanna all dressing her up like a doll she found herself regretting having ever lived on Omega. The first dress had fit her perfectly but was a floor length red dress with ruffled of bunched up fabric along the sides that reminded her too much of flowers. She'd lied and said it didn't fit properly. They believed her the first time, but the second and third times she said it they caught her bluff. After that they sat in the dressing room with her and politely averted their gaze anytime she dropped her dress unexpectedly.

 

"Don't let me forget to pick up underwear." Kat said as she blushed and looked away.

"The human body is a beautiful thing, Katerin." Maggie said over the channel that their headsets were set to pick up. Originally Guppy had been the one in control of it, but Maggie had been interested in Katerin's talk about shoes and clothing and had taken his place. Though mostly she just wanted to eavesdrop on what Bishop was doing off the ship. Hanna and Bishop made for something fun- and dangerous- to watch.

"I'm surprised you aren't watching, Kitten." Bishop teased, using the nickname she had given her for times like this when she was purposely embarrassing her.

"Just... let's see the dress." She said, flustered.

"Ugh, no. It looks like shit. Besides, you can see my ink." She said.

"We can see it no matter what dress you put on." Ladaran said. She was sitting with her legs folded in front of her on the bench beside Kat like she was meditating.

 

"Oh, that looks wonderful." Kat sighed. The dress was a bright white, entirely lace. From her chest down it had a slip, but even that was mostly transparent until it reached her hips where it gradually became more solid and than faded out again. The back was cut out and came to a point just above her rear.

"You look beautiful!" One of the saleswomen, Vanessa chirped.

"I think a pair of nude heels would look wonderful with that." Her friend Charity said.

"Ooh, and some brown stockings. Or..." Vanessa grinned wryly. "Since she seems more like the type, a bit of lingerie." Bishop shot her a glare but Kat shook her head.

"She's got plenty of that already. Now we just need shoes and a few new pairs of pants and shirts." Kat said.

"Why can't I just keep what I have now?" Bishop complained. "He fucked me when I was fifteen and sold me drugs. I didn't have tattoos then so he won't recognize me." Veronica and Charity sputtered at her crude words. "And I like what I wear."

"Because the captain doesn't want you to look like a prostitute." Hanna replied.

"Well, damn. That's too bad 'cause we can't all be prudes." She drawled in a mockingly happy voice.

"We'll go look for some casual wear..." The other women hustled out hurriedly.

"Lieutenant..." Ladaran put a hand on her shoulder to deter her from the opinion she was about to make known.

"Alliance bitch." Bishop mumbled.

 

Eventually, the women came back and handed her a few tops, skirts and pants. They narrowed the purchase down to the dress, heels of nude and blue colors with a hand bag and a short, strapless midnight blue dress. After that they purchased a wig. Since Bishop's hair was nothing more than a buzzcut on the sides and back, she only had hair long enough for extensions on top.

 

"You look fine." Kat said, trying to reassure her.

"I look like shit." Bishop disagreed. Somehow, and she didn't ask, they were able to put on a type of seal over her head. That enabled them to give her the appearance of natural, long hair. Bishop wasn't big on cosmetics so she didn't see how it was possible, but she didn't care.

 

Katerin went to see the captain afterwards and spoke to he and Guppy about hiding Bishop's tattoos. They all had some ideas, but only the Captain's would work for covering her up. 

 

 

 

 

Suvinus and everyone else aboard the Chimera had laughed at the thought of Bishop in a wedding dress and heels. They'd made jokes that they'd loose her to married life and she'd surprise them with five children. They were all counting on Bishop stumbling out in a long dress with pink shades of makeup and a sideways faring, scratchy wig made out of yarn. 

But the sight of Bishop wearing her usual seductive, glossy red lips, black eyeliner with soft blue shadow, long black lashes and now long hair pulled back into a large pin-up bun made their breath hitch. But the outfit was nice, too; a see through lace dress that was tight on her figure could make anyone's head turn.

 

"Bishop, you look... stunning." Suvinus said finally at as much a loss for words as the rest of the crew. The male crew was staring at her in shock, mouths agape.

The captain came through the doorway, but stopped abruptly and laughed. "Good work, Kat. I'm impressed."

"Damn. So am I." Suvinus chuckled, looking her over.

"Don't trip over your tongue." Ladaran said sourly, crossing her arms.

"Let's just get this over with so I can kill that fucker." She hissed, genuinely displeased with looking like a lady and not having any guns on her. She was also naturally impatient and had been waiting her whole life to kill those who hurt her.

"Such beauty is wasted with a tongue like a sailor and temper like fire." Guppy said, mocking her.

"I'm not afraid to tear this dress and come kick your ass." She returned with a snarl, viciously prepared to hike her dress up and do just that.

"Where do you want the wire to be, sir? We need to hear everything as well as we can."

"The one place he won't look." He rightly suggested.

"Oh, good. I won't need to wear one then." Bishop said, smirking mischeviously.

"Can't you just hack her brain?" Hanna said, gesturing to her.

"I could, but there's a chance all she'd have migraines or she might short-circuit." Guppy explained.

"No real loss." Hanna shrugged. She didn't care about losing Bishop or not. She saw no need for the ex-con.

"I could run a test here, sir." Guppy offered.

"Go ahead." The captain nodded. Guppy left to the control room of the ship. They waited a while before Bishop reacted.

 

"Ah, dammit." She hissed, hands on her head as she doubled over. "Get out of my head!" It hurt like hell. IT was like something had invaded her head. There was a ringing in her head and her vision was blurred and doubled, and everything was swimming.

Upon seeing her reaction the captain asked "How do you feel?"

"Like someone just cracked my skull open." She said, eyes closed as she stabilised herself against the wall.  
Guppy returned a moment later and shook his head at her. "It'll wear off in a few moments. It's just a headache; nothing to be concerned with. The good thing is we can hear everything loud and clear." After a few minutes of letting her sit by herself undisturbed, the pilot informed the captain that they had reached Omega.

 

 

"Ready to go?" Kat asked as she came to stand beside Bishop.

"No." She said matter-of-factly.

"Think of it as getting to go home." She said with a smile as Bishop looked up at her.

"I left home for a reason." She said.

"Because you went to jail?" Kat said. Bishop didn't give her an answer. Instead, Bishop left her and went to leave the ship.

Before she could, however, she was stopped by the captain and the others. Quite a few of the men on board the crew who weren't busy had come to watch her as they'd already been standing about drooling over the reformed, feminine version of her who, as one had put it, "had too much sex appeal for someone you know is going to bite your dick off".

 

She tried to slip past him, but Suvinus stopped her, putting a hand alongside her on the wall, trapping her in so she faced him. He knew how she played her games but he was still trying this? Bishop was hard to challenge and even harder to conquer, but she could be persuaded, with enough convincing, to play a little easier. Suvinus was someone whose appearance she found appealing but she wouldn't spare him any harsher or lesser of a treatment.

 

 

When she crossed her arms and rested, he took a step back. "Lift." Suvinus said, gesturing up.

Normally she would have smiled and come back with a more playful response. But right now she pissed because he'd figured her out. Bishop sighed and grabbed the end of her skirt revealing the black stockings and wide lace black garter belt she wore. While Katerin was blushing, everyone else was staring.

 

"This is indecent. What're you-" Hanna started.

She stopped when she saw the knives Bishop had strapped to her thighs. Hanna removed them herself and then patted her over. She removed a throwing knife from inside her large bun, two thin, round and pointed knives that were hidden alongside the heels of her shoes. Stilettos for stilettos. Hanna started to proclaim she was now unarmed, but Suvinus interjected. He tapped her chest and Bishop rolled her eyes.

 

"There's nothing there, Suvinus." She furrowed her brow.

"I'm not going to grope you, Bishop but I know it's there." He said, holding out his hand expectantly. 

She leaned forward, pushing out her chest to him. With snark, she said, "You want, come get it." She winked and chuckled. She was pleased with herself. Until he had a comeback.

"Then I won't. Not here. But you know... I can hit you with Overload the next time I have my weapons out." He said.

"You're a cheating little bitch." Aggravated, she pulled a shiv out from between her cleavage and handed it to him. "There. I don't have anymore comfortable hiding places." She said.

"Are you sure?" Guppy said, surprised she could even hide one between her breasts.

"Yeah, I couldn't fit one up my ass." She snapped, shutting him up and turning her back to Suvinus. 

She was most unhappy with having to hand over the others. Suvinus peered over her shoulder and started to touch her hip. Knowing what he was after and trying to stop him before he could take the knife from her, she put her hands over his with a wicked smile and moved them lower and closer to where she pleased, chewing her lip and looking at him lustfully, though it wasn't exactly what he'd been intending. She was hoping he wouldn't find the ones she had placed there, knowing he knew.

"Lucky bastard." One of the soldiers mumbled under his breath.

Suvinus cleared his throat and chuckled nervously, stealing the other two throwing knives she had placed in her garter. "Not here, Bishop." He said. he'd not really seemed like he was taking to her advances, but perhaps this would help.

"If she has anything else, she can keep it. I don't' want to know where else she can hide them." The captain droned, shaking his head. "And you two. No touching on the deck." He said, looking at Suvinus who was just as guilty as Bishop was. "Or anywhere for that matter. She's off limits."

 

 

In the shutle, Bishop pulled a spare outfit, one she'd packed herself, out of her gym bag and looked over it. she had a pair of white leggings, a see-through lace shirt, much like her dress, that stopped mid way yet had long sleeves. To finish the look, she slipped on strappy heels with a silver platform and heel. Of course she had long necklaces and bracelets and a pair of sunglasses, but than she wouldn't be herself if she didn't. She wasn't stepping foot on Omega without her usual urban flair with a just touch of glamour.

 

Finally, the time came for Bishop to make her way to the mansion Gretna had. But first Bishop made a stop by her old home. At first, the ones in charge of tracking her alerted the captain of her whereabouts, until Kat commented on that being where she used to live. She didn't know how Kat knew perhaps just through intuition or one of the news vids they'd made about hr since she'd become public enemy number one on everybody's shitlist.

 

The current homeowners let her in when she explained that it had been her old home. IT was strange at first that they didn't recognise her, until she looked down and remembered that not only was she made up differently, but that he tattoos were gone. She felt so bald without them.

 

Bishop ran her hands along the walls. She could practically feel the hum of her old life, the memories playing in her mind. She remembered being innocent and blind. Stupid. She could smell the Hova and marijuana that would forever linger in the bedroom that used to belong to her.

She had often relied on drugs to get her though things, but it was just as bad now. In her times of weakness, she'd be more susceptible to falling back into a lapse of drug abuse even though she was stronger now. She knew not to expect the good in people and she could see through their bullshit. If she didn't trust easy, there was a reason for it and people could get over it. She didn't let anyone in. It was better that way.

 

"Someone committed suicide here. They never told us who." The woman said. Her husband was at work according to her and her children were at school; the same one Bishop had gone to, not that it was a very good one.

"Julianna McCoy. And she didn't commit suicide. She was murdered. Her daughter was involved with one of the local gangs, but she went to jail and became a very famous figure after she was repeatedly raped. Julianna failed to treat one of the members of her daughter's rival gangs and they wanted revenge. So they had a turf war and inevitably, Julianna died. Forty seven others died as well." She said, pointing lazily over her shoulder.

 

The woman looked horrified and disgusted. "How do you ..." She shook her head, dumbfounded.

"I have to go." Bishop said and smiled. She let herself out as the woman stood scared to move, looking around her home like it was cursed.

 

She could hear Guppy on the other end scolding her for scaring the woman, but Bishop ignored him. Everything she said was true. The night her mother had died fifteen people died inside the house and rest were all outside of it, but revolved around her former residence. They'd been after her and she had gotten her mother killed. That was the day that Bishop escaped and wouldn't return to captivity until the Alliance would call upon her. she'd be damned if she'd seen that coming.

 

"Okay now, Bishop. Return to the schedule and go to Gretna's manor." Guppy said.

"I want to walk around some more, I'll go when I'm ready." She said carelessly. If he didn't like it he could shove it. It wasn't his business or anyone elses.

 

Bishop remembered one of the hideouts they used to have. She recalled hearing once that it had been abandoned after Bishop and her crew left Omega. It was an old schoolhouse, underground. It didn't take her long to find and she was glad when she did, though it was filthy and she felt a regretful disturbance in her belly the further in she went. The place smelled of decay, mold and disgust. It was worse than it had been when they found the place.

 

Going in there she walked down the stairs only to push open the doors and find that it was falling apart. There were old, long dead bodies of krogan. When she passed it, she spat on it's corpse and mumbled in a grim, grave voice "I hope you rot." She'd never liked krogan, not after what they'd done to her. And the fucking guards didn't stop them.

 

Her heels made soft, clicking noises as she passed through and she frowned. There were no lights and the further down she went, the less the glow of Omega reached. Soon, she had to pull out her phone, a slim sliver of metal that opened into an 'l' shape. It flashed and the screen for it appeared. She cranked up the brightness and clipped it to her belt.

 

She still couldn't see very well, but every now and then through the other various scribbles, signs and art on the walls she could make out the sign that her gang had used. She missed it. She missed the days back on Omega, where they originated and where she felt like she ran the place. After they'd been run out of Omega byt the asari who really ran things (a part of her story most people didn't know) she'd taken her crew with her on the ship. They were pirates, but not what they used to be. And now she didn't even have them at all.

 

Bishop finally entered the main room- the cafeteria which had the stage across from it used in performances. They used to have a weapons rack on one of the walls and a stash in the are backstage.The cafeteria was perfect for gathering. She remembered how they always had music playing in this room and the next.

In the gym, though, they often had casual fights. Sometimes the fighting was serious and if two members decided to have it out they'd do it in the gym. Bishop often handled initiations in the gym as well. And of course, anytime they needed to have private conversations or discuss something that wasn't for all ears, Bishop would take Ran'Xeeger into one of the classrooms.

All in all it was a large base, but so was Bishop's gang. There were a lot of them. If they were still active with her reportedly dead or if they had moved on from her she didn't know. She didn't really want to know, honestly.   
Bishop had done more than just pirate and gang banger life but they were her best. She'd done some things that others saw as terrible while it was just her idea of fun. If she wanted something, she took it and it didn't matter who she had to kill or what she to do. If it got in her way, she took care of it.

 

"...Bishop, you have to go back." Banks said.

"Why?" She mumbled. "I'm enjoying my last moments of freedom." After this she was back in a cage.

"You had your moments of freedom, get back to the plan." he said, enunciating.

She realised why he was so insisted when she ran her hands over the rusty, broken railing of the rocking, creaking spiral staircase. It went up all three levels of the building but it wasn't very secure anymore.

"Oh." She teased. "You think I'm going to rendezvous with my men." Banks was silent, but that was her confirming anger. She laughed and sat down on the stairs which threatened to completely detach. "What makes you think I'd need their help? If I wanted to get free I could do it. Did you forget I went to a high-security prison ship right before I broke out? I still got out. besides, they wouldn't come back here anyway."

 

 

She stood up and started to take a step when there was an even louder creak and a screw worked loose of the staircase.

"Bishop!" Kat hollered over the radio.

 

Bishop panicked as the staircase unexpectedly began to fall. She felt her body start to slip, but at the last moment she thought almost subconsciously lock her fingers around the end of the last stair remaining, crooked and askew as it was. She panted, looking down and then back up as the metal creaked again. She had to think fast, grabbing the next step.

"Shit! I hate this fucking building!" She exclaimed, climbing up it like ladder.

She didn't manage to get far, however, and the last of the stairs came loose and plummeted down with her. Bishop must have screamed, but any breath left in her lungs was pushed out when her back landed on the ground below. Falling wasn't one of her fears, but it was damn near one now. she lay still for a minute, the ringing in her head slowly seeping in. She knew that if it hadn't been her legs that caught most of the impact, she'd have died. Luckily, her back was second to touch the ground.

 

She could hear the screeching in her ears, but maybe it was their voices she actually heard. She couldn't tell. She wasn't breathing and every inch of her body that hadn't already been amputated felt pain. Numbing, stinging pain.

"...Can you hear me? Bishop, can you hear me?" She didn't recognise the voice that well at first, but she placed it as the doctor, Red Len. "Bishop, can you move your legs?"

She paused a minute. She gathered herself, ignoring the searing pain in her left leg as she moved it. Then her right. "Yeah."

"Good. Can you sit up?" Red Len said with a sigh of relief.

She wanted to say 'Do I have to?' but she knew the answer to that. IT took her a minute, but she slowly pushed herself up. She realised she'd fallen two stories down and tried to wrap her head around her survival. "How am I still alive? That should have killed me. Or broken me anyway."

Red Len laughed nervously. "I can't answer that. But be grateful. It's not every day that you almost die and get to walk away mostly undamaged."

"Yeah, well. I hurt like hell." She said. She grabbed her head as she stood up. "I think I broke my ass." She said. "And my head. And... uff... everything.

 

Bishop grumbled and griped as she stumbled off, looking up at the broken staircase. She sighed and started walking. She knew there was an extra set of stairs that was in the back of the school. Now it was just a matter of finding it. her phone was flickering, so she only had light sometimes. The tap of her heels was uneven and she could hardly keep herself standing.

"I'm just... going to," Bishop fell to her knees and then curled into a ball on the ground. "take a nap here."

"Bishop, no! Get up!" Red Len said. "You have a concussion. You need to keep your eyes open."

 

She understood what Len said, she just didn't want to get up. She wanted to sleep and she didn't care about anything else. It made sense that she'd have a concussion, though. She'd just suffered a pretty significant fall so a bit of brain damage wasn't surprising.

Bishop pushed herself up again and tried to keep walking. She was still feeling too tired to keep her feet under her but there was no question. She had to keep walking.

 

Finally, Bishop found the way out and she was spit back into the streets of Omega. She was near a cafe, but better still, she knew of a bar that was just a few blocks down. Jenneson's wasn't the best bar ever opened, but it was one she, Adil and Ran'Xeeger had frequented when the gang was exclusively on Omega.

 

When Bishop pushed open the doors she was expecting the usual greeting the bartender, and manager, would give her. Instead she was greeted only by blank stares that didn't linger on her. She reminded herself she'd taken a serious fall, saved only by her sturdy, stronger-than-the-rest-of-her biomechanics and that no one here recognised her. Suddenly her bravado upon entering felt pointless and wasted.

 

 

She sat down at the bar and ordered a beer, drinking it and trying to ignore the pain in her back. She still found it a miracle she'd survived at all. Kat called it God's work, but Bishop had to call bullshit on that one. She wasn't a religious person having given that life up long ago for one much less holy. She was still trying to get the throbbing pain that coursed like a serpent through her body to numb and leave her, but forgetting it was a bit hard when all she had was nagging in her ear and the pulsing of decade old dance music.

 

"Hey... Don't I recognise you?" A wrinkled man in his fifties with a wirey beard and mustache, balding but shoulder length, unkempt grey hair had closed the gap of bar stools between them to sit beside of her.

She looked at him blankly. "No."

"Yeah, yeah. I know where I've seen you. You're that Omega lady, aren't you?"

Bishop didn't acknowledge him, instead just put down her bottle with a sigh and tilted her head, chewing her tongue. "Look. I don't care who you are, I don't' know who you are. Fuck. Off."

"Alright, alright." He said. "But just so you know... I know your face. I've seen you on TV. It's a shame what happened to you, really." Bishop had stopped listening to him by this point but his next words caught her attention. "You'd think the guards would be there to-"

Bishop stood up so hard and fast she kicked her stool onto it's side. She grabbed the man by the back of his neck, squeezing as she said, "Don't you ever talk about that! You have no right...!" And she slammed his head into the bar top, successfully breaking his nose.

 

Bishop looked around at the few faces staring at her, including the bartender. Bishop scoffed and muffled an angry shout as she fled immediately. She et the bar doors slam behind her and she didn't slow down. She'd used her prosthetic when she hit him, but she'd perfected using her new limbs long ago. It took getting used to, but she knew how. She could give the lightest touch, or in the case of the man and the door to the bar, a surging blow.

 

"... Bishop. Bishop, answer me."

"What, Guppy?" She barked.

"Did that man know you?" The captain asked. She could picture him shoving Guppy aside in his wheeling chair.

"No. He just recognised me." She said. "I became a bit of an idol to the younger thugs on Omega, and a public menace when I still had my gang. We were based out of here."

The captain sighed. "Alright. We can't have another run in like this. Go to Gretna's manor and stay with him. Don't go out without him or if you must, wear lighter clothing."

"Ah, he means nicer clothing. Not lighter. Dresses, skirts, the latest fashion and social norms." Guppy said quickly.

"I knew what he meant." She said, a bit offended though she understood why he was jumping to.

"Well, you know. You are the one running around in just suspenders and pants." He said.

 

Bishop didn't respond, but the man had a point. She kept walking, following Guppy's instructions. She knew her way around Omega, but only if she was headed to the less respectable places. The nicer it got the less she knew about it. And she didn't care to learn.

 

 

Finally Bishop arrived at Gretna manor. The place was huge and had a modern, mostly white design. The floor was shining marble, the interior was white or metallic, the stairs were all spiral and had their one chic look.

"And... who are you?" A short woman with rosy cheeks greeted her at the door but didn't seem to recognise her or, perhaps by her clothing, thought she was mistaken.

"B- Ah, 'Becca." She said with a quick recovery.

The help was pushed out the way by an older woman with a tall blonde hair that was cut by her shoulders. She wore a light green dress and a jacket over it. "Ah! Rebecca!"

"And you are Anthony's mother, right?" Bishop said, stepping inside the great house. "Damn this place is nice."

"Bishop! Language." Guppy said. She hated that she wasn't able to turn off her earpiece, forced to listen to him fuss about her every wrong move. The piece she wore, a seashell colored and shaped ear cuff, went from the middle of her ear to the tip of her ear. Her earrings, three, were only on the lobe, her other piercing holes having closed up long ago when she first started wearing the communicator. IT was the first time since she got it that she regretted it.

"I am, yes. We've been expecting you! Come, come. You're just in time for dinner, but I'm sure you'd like to see Anthony first, of course!" She chirped in a nasally voice.

"Well, actually food right now sounds really-"

"Bishop!"

For a moment Bishop frowned and wanted to say something to Guppy, but knew she couldn't. "Ah, I mean... Yep. Why not? Let's meet the bastard."

 

She wasn't exactly excited about being here and she wasn't fond of meeting someone she had slept with before; especially when she was so young. She followed the woman into a large sitting room with a fountain in the middle with a 'zen' feeling and potted ferns around the room. She sat down in one of the chairs, leaned back with an arm over the back and her legs just as apart as she usually sat, which was very masculine to say the least. Unfortunately she was in a dress and it took Guppy's verbal nudge to get her to cross them.

 

When Gretna came in, the snarl on Bishop's pretty lips threatened to boil over the limit of anger and hatred she had toward him. She had to push it away before she'd show it physically. She was fuming, the corners of her mouth twitching and she tried not to let her displeasure show. Instead, Bishop just narrowed her eyes and looked him over. Same greased back black hair. Same brown eyes and pale skin. Same handsome but evil features and sleepless look in his eyes. He had a white suit on, backless gloves that lead into long sleeves to a shirt under a white jacket and white slacks. He'd always favored the color white and he managed easily to bled in with the house.

 

It was all too clean for Bishop's taste. Even dolled up she still had her urban flare, her throwback to gang life and the bored expression on her face she always had. Luckily, Bishop had ditched the dress for something she could actually stand being in. It didn't take long for her to plant her feet apart and rest her elbows on her knees, something she couldn't have done in the restricting dress.

 

"So, Gretna. How's it going?" She asked, her jaw tight and her fingers flexing in and out of a fist. Her pointless manicured nails, black by her request, were threatening to snap off or cut her skin.

"Bishop, lass... Check your atitude!" Guppy harped.

"I am well, darling. I presume you are the same?" He flashed a charming smile and Bishop's blood curdled.

"Yep." She groaned. "Stupid heels." She shifted to make it seem believable, but all she meant by that statement was that she didn't know what to say or do and that was their code word for panic, distress or being in need of a scapegoat: 'Heels'.

"Comment that he's looking well, or that you'd like to discuss a new topic." Guppy said, his own voice seeming a bit lost as to what to say. He was the one and only member of the bomb squad. Why he was always on the comm she didn't know.

"Let's get to know each other, hmm? Maybe on the terrace with a glass of wine?" She smiled and leaned forward, crossing her legs again.

"I think that's a fine idea. Mother, if you will excuse us." He grabbed a bottle of wine from a cabinet under the coffee table and poured it into two glasses. Bishop snagged the bottle on her way out after him, holding the bottle in her hand as she sat on the rail of the terrace. Gretna closed the door to the outside so they'd have privacy from prying eyes.

"So. I'd love to hear more about you. Do you have family?" He asked.

Guppy told her what to say and she repeated it; "I have two younger sisters, Era and Leelo." She said, nodding.

"Ah, you must be a wonderful inspiration. Only twenty two and already a model." He said. "What is it that you do, again?" He took a sip of his wine and smiled. IT was all just a show.

She was silent for a moment. She was starting to feel a burning twist knot itself in her belly. She wanted nothing more than to murder this man and go back to where she belonged. But every inch of her was owned and being tortured as by leaving her in the presence of something she'd left behind. Gretna belonged in her past, far from her.

 

"Lingerie and chic fashion." She responded through tight lips.

"That so? I'd love to see it sometime." He said, smiling.

She grinned. "Mm, which one? 'Cause for one of those I can give you a private photo shoot later."

"Stow it, Bishop! You are not to sleep with Gretna!"

"Oh, right. I'm not supposed to fuck until our wedding night. Dammit." She said. While she'd actually meant it toward Guppy, Gretna raised a brow in surprise and took a sip of his wine, chewing his lips awkwardly.

"I see." He said. "I was not wishing to... impose. My mother would keel over if she even thought we'd fooled around."

"Yeah, mine too." She said.

He frowned. "Not to be rude... but I thought your mother was... dead?"

"Yeah, well. That's what happens when rumor gets out." She joked, chuckling.

He was silent for a moment before he realised it was just a dark joke and forced a dry laugh. "So... ah, this is a lot to take in isn't it? I never thought I'd be marrying a model." Bishop nodded, bored. "Especially not one so beautiful."

"Didn't think I'd get married." She said.

"You're not how I thought you'd be. I expected someone prudish and stuck up. Someone like my mother. Bossing me around and never letting me have my fun. But you're easy to be around. Simple. Relaxed."

"And if I have another bottle, shitfaced." She said, taking the bottle with her as she kicked the door open. "Let's go, I'm hungry." Gretna laughed and she rolled her eyes, peeling her lip up.

 

 

Everyone aboard the ship was expecting the dinner to go over poorly. Instead, Bishop merely layed her ankle over the opposite knee under the table and ate very properly and neatly. She did, however, keep her bottle of wine instead of drinking water from a glass or having her wine poured but even that was better than stealing the tubular flask she'd hidden in her garters. How she could sneak a flask in her garters no one asked or wanted to know, except maybe Suvinus who was still pretty curious despite the oddity.

 

The dinner was silent and awkward until finally his mother burst under her excitement. "So, Rebecca. are you excited?"

"Mother! You told me you wouldn't discuss the marriage." Gretna groaned, dropping his fork and shaking his head disappointingly.

"I know, but I'm just- I'm so happy my boy is geting married!"

Bishop shrugged, leaning back in her chair and shrugging. "Dunno. I mean, I'm sure it's gonna be a helluva ride. You know, kids down the road. Thinkin' of lettin' my figure go. I wanna look like a goddess before the first one but after that- all hell's gonna break loose." She said.

"Oh... um."

"It's a joke." She said, rolling her eyes. She would have never believed she'd be surrounded by people like this if someone had warned her before she got into this mess with the Alliance.

"Oh! Oh, thank goodness. But you do want children, yes?" Gretna's mother asked.

"Hell-"

"Bishop..." Guppy droned, tired of her already.

"...yes?" She said, raising a pale brow. She raised her bottle of wine in a toast. "To the little munchkins and our fertility!" She laughed and tilted her long neck back, guzzling her drink impressively.

 

 

 

 

 

After a few more hours of staying up and Bishop lying about her new persona they found sending her might have been a mistake. So far all she'd done was claim that she'd been in a bit of "films that probably shouldn't be looked up" and add 'renegade punk fashion' to her resume, whatever that was. Unfortunately, the more Bishop got relaxed, the more prone she was to sitting in her typical boyish manner. 

 

Kat stepped back from the large viewing screen. Bishop was the wrong choice. But, if they really did have to get this done, then she'd be complacent and forget about it. But surely it would have been easier to just infiltrate the blackmarket? They couldn't have been lacking in manpower. There were plenty of them on the ship so why couldn't they just all suit up and go in guns blazing?

 

She turned around just in time to see Hanna directly before her. She took an immediate step back to stop herself from falling into her. She gathered herself and frowned, but Hanna didn't return the look. Or at least, the permanent scowl she had didn't increase or decrease.

"Kat, there's something that the captain would like to discuss you. This... is concerning." She said.

 

The lieutenant actually seemed disturbed, which worried her. If Hanna didn't like it than Kat was definitely not going to. Kat exchanged a passing glance with Jax who was sitting by one of the terminals, taking care of her own duties, and while Jax seemed intrigued and curious, Kat didn't want to go. She wished she could trade places just so she could avoid bad news. She couldn't take anymore bad news. DEL had given her sister sight, unusual strength and advances over her, but they'd only given Kat hell. She prayed it didn't concern any of her friends, like Veyza, or her brother.

 

Kat was ushered into the Captain's office. Hanna shut the door behind her and took a seat on the able, crossing one leg over the other."We have something we need to discuss." The captain said, gesturing to a seat as he laced his fingers together before him on the table. "Take a seat."

Kat sat down. she could almost smell the worry on her. "What is it?" She said.

Banks flicked a hand from Hanna to the small desk in the far corner of the room. Hanna rose and handed Kat a pile of files including a few loose papers. She didn't move but instead stood just behind Kat. She seemed to already know what the files said from her lack of interest in them.

 

Kat was discovering more and more horrible, absurd things as she searched through the files, but she kept reading. It was ridiculous and she didn't believe a single word of it. The files mentioned that they'd found evidence of cloning from the bodies in the pit on Varrin Tance. It wasn't visible in their appearances since decomposition had taken place, but their genetics were identical. However, there were five hidden bodies in a separate room that had not been explored when Hanna, Angora and Bishop had been there. Five perfectly cloned bodies.

 

Kat picked up the pictures attached to the folder. Three were of Kat and the other two were of Bishop. "You expect me to believe that these... clones are alive? That there are little Kats and Bishops running amok at DEL."

The captain sighed. "Yes. We expect you to believe that there are genetic clones of you and Bishop, but they are not alive."

Kat sat back. She milled over what she'd just heard and closed the folder. "Why aren't they alive?"

"They died. When DEL abandoned the ship, they weren't still supported and drowned in their tanks. But two of them were removed. DEL took those two and from what we can tell, they have what we have."

"You mean... DEL has Bishop's clone... and mine?"

"Exactly that." Banks said, nodding solemnly.

Kat let out a disheartened puff of breath. Why would they keep clones of them? "Do you we know where they are?" The captain shook his head. "Does Bishop know about this."

"We only just found out. She'll be told when she gets back." He said.

 

Kat stood up and asked to be dismissed. She turned for the door and headed out. This was a lot of news to take in. She wished she knew why they would need clones of she and Bishop. What was the reason behind any of their secret experiments? There must have been some gain behind it. Would they try and kill Bishop and Kat and replace them with something else? Would they become copies to live out the rest of their lives? In fraud?

 

A thought passed through Kat's head that she was excited for having a doppelganger, but soon practicality and realism shunned it and burned it out. It wasn't a good thing, it was very bad. If Kat had a doppelganger than she'd be stupid to be excited about it. Clones were good, especially not when they were from DEL, the ones who wanted to kill her and turned her sister against her and gave her something that she could never refuse: sight.

 

Kat turned around and headed back inside Banks' office. Hanna and Banks both looked up at with raised brows. "Have they made any clones of Rhiannon?"

"Not that we know about." Hanna responded.

"Could... could it be possible that if I killed her," Kat started to feel her throat tighten. "That the clone could be allowed to live?"

Banks saw what was going on and he looked at her understandingly, but sternly. "Kat, look. Anyone with DEL is a dead man. No exceptions."

She was silent for a moment. "I understand."

 

Kat went back to the room she slept in and layed down. She didn't care about Bishop enough to keep her headset on, so she sat it down on a nightstand and turned it off. She lay on her back with her hands behind her head. She heard a knock at the door and mumbled something that roughly sounded like 'yeah' but she didn't bother to sit up.

It was Caleb.

 

HE took a seat in the table left of the door, flush against the wall. "I thought you might want to talk about what happened with your sister."

"Not really." Kat said. She realised it was a bit cold and she liked Caleb, but it wasn't any of his business. And it wouldn't be anyone's.

"Then... about Nalla?" HE said hopefully.

"Nalla?" She asked, rolling onto her side.

"Yeah. It's what they named the clone." Caleb said, nodding.

"Oh my, God." Kat breathed, laying back over. "This is really serious. I mean, this is bad. Are the others still down in cargo?"

"Actually they're in the Med Bay with Len and SAIA's scientists." He answered. "They're looking to see how old they are, when they died- that kind of stuff. I'm sure you can go see them, though."

"Yeah, I might have to." She said. "What do they want?" She wondered aloud, covering her face with her hands and pulling down her bottom lids.

"I wish I could answer that." Caleb said. He stood up and stopped by her bed. "If you decide you want to talk, Kat... I'll listen."

She peered at his face a moment. He seemed sincere and genuinely interested. She made herself smile after a moment and then said, "Thanks, Caleb. I might need someone to talk to sooner or later."

 

Kat wasn't really ready for making nice and starting friendships on the ship. After this was over, she'd have to deal with losing them all. Even if they survived then she'd probably never see them again. She wouldn't form relationships just for them to end. Not again.


End file.
